We, as CETAF, strongly stand for FAIR data. We participated, and still participate, in multiple projects where free access to biodiversity data is essential.
Yet, this accessibility is far from being granted, due to paywall, compulsory registration and more. Our CETAF Legislation and Regulations Working Group, coordinated by Dirk Neumann, elaborated – in cooperation with the undersigned – this open letter to be addressed to the delegates who will be participating in the negotiations at COP 16 in Cali, Colombia, in October 2024.
The initial statement makes it clear:
Please support maintaining open, free, and fair access to Digital Sequence Information (DSI). We fully support the principle that DSI users should share benefits. However, the mechanism to share benefits must be obligatory, enable open science principles and be legally and technically practical. Therefore, we call for a multilateral and decoupled DSI benefit-sharing system. This means no payments at the point of access to DSI-data nor mandatory registration of users. The multilateral mechanism should also allow and bring visibility to non-monetary benefit sharing from scientific research. We also ask you to support cross-sectoral, harmonized and therefore future-proofed approaches.
The letter has been sent to representatives from the EU Commission (+ Switzerland, Norway, UK) and to representatives of the individual Member States.
