JOINSTM Chapter | Europe
The STM Europe group closely monitors developments in European Union legislation, sharing intelligence and coordinating activity of STM and its members specifically in Brussels. It is made up of STM staff and representatives of STM members who actively have presence in Brussels, ideally with expertise in lobbying and government relations. Meetings take place once per month.
The activity of the STM Europe group is in support of and complementary to that of the standing STM Committees and Forums. Learn more about how we are structured.
STM Europe provides recommendations on how to best broadcast the work of STM, discusses advocacy activities to implement in Brussels and creates opportunities for STM and its members to communicate on their key messages.
The latest policy updates from the EU
EU survey to gather stakeholders’ input on the implementation of the DSM Directive — until 5 June
The EU COM is in the process of evaluating whether the Directive for Copyright in the Digital Single Market, adopted in 2019, has been properly implemented and has achieved its objectives. Stakeholder feedback is being collected until 5 June here.
EU COM releases economic analysis of potential interventions on SPR and research exception
The report, published on 30 April, acknowledges that Europe has achieved higher-than-average OA rates, that no statistically significant effect can be attributed to SPR, and that Gold Open Access (OA) and Transformative Agreements have been the underlying drivers of OA growth in Europe (in line with what our data also shows). Yet it puts forward…
EU COM set to present findings of study on economic impact of Secondary Publication Right and modified research exception
The study led by Visionary Analytics on the economic impact of potential legislative interventions regarding an EU-wide Secondary Publication Right and a modified research exception has now concluded. Findings will be presented in a webinar on 13 May. Programme and registration are available here.
German Federal Constitutional Court decision on secondary publication obligation
On 24 March 2026, the German Federal Constitutional Court ruled against the state of Baden-Württemberg and the University of Konstanz, rejecting their attempt to establish a secondary publication obligation through state and institutional statutes under Section 38(4) of the German Copyright Act (UrhG). The Court found the obligation void on competence grounds: copyright legislation is a matter…