Legal aspects

Am I concerned ?  

This provision pertains to all scientific articles that are published in a journal and that are the result of research that is at least half-funded by public funds. This is the case for any research that is carried out or published in Belgium, in part or in whole.  

What am I allowed to do? 

You have the right to archive Open Access versions of your journal article, no matter what contract has been signed with the publisher, under the following conditions: 

• the research on which the article is based must have been at least half-funded by public funds;
• a point of attachment must be located in Belgium (author, publisher, research institution or financier, etc.);
• only the author’s version (the final revised version before publishing layout) that is accepted for publication is concerned;
• if the publisher requires an embargo period, this may not exceed 12 months for the humanities and social sciences and 6 months for other sciences;
• the source of the initial publication must be mentioned. 

Are my older articles concerned? 

Yes. 

This law applies to any articles that fall under the aforementioned conditions, even if they were published before 5 September 2018, the date on which the law came into effect. 

What are my advantages? 

• This protects you, for the articles concerned, in the application of the decree of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. 
• You retain a right to dissemination for your journal articles, including old articles.  

Read the text (article 29)

Open Access Decree 

Am I concerned?  

This decree is aimed at any researcher who is carrying out research activities in a scientific or educational institution and financed, in whole or in part, by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. 

What do I have to do? 

An Open Access full text version of your journal articles has to be archived in an institutional repository. 

The text of the decree stipulates that all scientific journal articles that are accepted for publication, and which are the result of research activities financed, in whole or in part, by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, have to be archived in an institutional repository. 

When do I need to archive? 

Immediately after the article has been accepted by a publisher. 

Do I always have to archive in Open Access? 

Yes. 

Should the publisher require it, the decree allows an Open Access version of articles to be archived with an embargo that may not exceed:

• 6 months for scientific, technical and human or veterinary medicine-related fields; 
• 12 months for the humanities and social sciences. 

What are my advantages? 

To increase visibility and highlight the research carried out in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. 

To encourage the dissemination of research results, thus allowing everybody – no matter what their means – to access scientific documentation. 

Read the text

Open Access  

Am I concerned ?  

This mandate affects all recipients of research funding under the Horizon 2020 project. 

What do I have to do? 

Guarantee open access to the full text of your peer-reviewed scientific publications, where these comprise the results of research that were carried out thanks to funding from the Horizon 2020 project. 

Two steps: 

• Submit the publications to an institutional repository or an open archive.
• Guarantee open access to these publications, either via the green path or the gold path. 

You must upload these publications to ORBi. 

They are then forwarded to the European OpenAire repository from ORBi. 

When do I need to archive? 

As soon as the publication has been accepted by a publisher and, at the latest, by the publishing date. 

Which publications are concerned? 

• Articles (compulsory). 
• Monographs and publications (strongly recommended). 
• Conference papers (strongly recommended). 
• Grey literature (strongly recommended). 

Do I always have to archive in Open Access?  

Yes. 

If the publisher requires that an embargo period be observed, it must not exceed six months (or 12 months for human and social sciences). 

H2020 Programme guide

Open Access  

Am I concerned?  

This mandate affects all recipients of research funding under the Horizon Europe project. 

What do I have to do? 

Guarantee open access to the full text of your peer-reviewed scientific publications – including books and other extended forms of publication – where these comprise the results of research that were carried out thanks to funding from the Horizon Europe project. 

Two steps: 

1. Submit the publications to a trusted repository as ORBi. 
2. Guarantee open access to these publications, either via the green path or the gold path. 

You must upload these publications to ORBi. They are then forwarded to the European OpenAire repository from ORBi. 

Please be aware that if you publish in a hybrid journal (a subscription journal that also offers paid Open Access options per article) the publication fees (APC) will not be funded. 

When do I need to archive? 

As soon as the publication has been accepted by a publisher and, at the latest, by the publishing date. 

Which publications are concerned? 

All peer-reviewed scientific publications: articles, book-chapters, full-length monographs, proceedings of conferences and congresses. 

It is also strongly recommended to open access to other scientific productions: grey literature, software, modelisations etc. 

Do I always have to archive in Open Access? 

Yes. 

Moreover, open access must be immediate. No embargo period is allowed. 

Open data  

What are the obligations regarding Open Data?  

1. The Data Management Plan is a mandatory deliverable of each project. A first version must already be included in submitted proposals. The planned data management strategy must address the issues of openness and sharing.
2. Research data and results must be (a) deposited in trusted repositories and (b) opened as much as possible (while respecting GDPR‑type regulations, ethical aspects, potential intellectual property valorization interests, etc.) and in accordance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). 

Open Science in Horizon Europe

Open Access  

Am I concerned?  

This obligation is aimed at any researcher who is conducting research that is funded, in whole or in part, by a member of the cOAlition S. 

What do I have to do? 

Publish or disseminate the full text of all your scientific publications under Open Access and under a free licence, starting 1 January 2021. 

The principles behind Plan S stipulate that any article that comprises the results of research that was funded, in whole or in part, by a member of the cOAlition S must be submitted to an institutional archive or published via the gold path of Open Access. 

‘Publish and Read’ agreements are compatible with Plan S. 

When do I need to archive? 

Upon publication. 

Which publications are concerned?  

• Scientific articles, starting 1 January 2021. 
• Monographs and publication chapters, from the end of 2021. 

Do I always have to archive in Open Access?  

Yes, immediately and without any embargo period. 

Open data et open source  

Although Plan S concerns peer‑reviewed publications only, cOAlition S also encourages openness of research data and other research outputs. 

Plan S : Principles and implementation