The European Commission has made Open Science a central pillar of its research policy. This means that certain practices are not optional anymore—they are part of the rules of participation in funded projects. But the Commission also encourages a series of recommended practices that go beyond compliance, helping to improve the visibility, transparency, and impact of your work.

Mandatory Practices In All Calls

• First, the mandatory part: Horizon Europe requires immediate open access to all peer-reviewed scientific publications resulting from the project. This means that as soon as your article is accepted, you must deposit the Author Accepted Manuscript—or, if allowed, the published version—in a trusted open repository such as HAL or Zenodo. No embargo is permitted.
• Second, Horizon Europe requires that all research data be managed according to the FAIR principles. FAIR does not mean that all data must be open; it means that data must be findable, accessible under well-defined conditions, interoperable, and reusable. The rule here is: “as open as possible, as closed as necessary.” Sensitive or restricted data can remain closed, but they still need metadata and clear access conditions.
• Third, every project must produce a Data Management Plan, and it has to be updated regularly as the project evolves. The DMP is where you explain what data you will produce, how you will store them, how you will document them, where you will deposit them, and how you will make them accessible.
• Finally, Horizon Europe requires that all information necessary to validate your scientific conclusions be either provided in the publication or made accessible. This includes data, methods, code, software versions, workflows, and instruments—essentially anything needed for reproducibility.

Recommended Open Science Practices

These practices are not contractual obligations but strongly encouraged. They increase visibility, quality, and impact:

• Early and open sharing of research outputs (preprints, registered reports).
• Open Peer Review and transparent evaluation practices.
• Open Collaboration, including cross-disciplinary work and engagement with non-academic communities.
• Citizen Science – engaging society in the research process.
• Open Knowledge – ensuring that scientific knowledge, educational resources, data, and cultural content are freely accessible, reusable, and shareable.

Additional Resources :

Self-Assessment Quiz