Swiss, Swedes and Greeks sign publishing agreements

National consortia sign deals with private and academic-led publishers, as other negotiations run aground

Consortia of research and higher education organisations in Switzerland and Sweden have struck agreements with big publishing companies, allowing their members to continue accessing paywalled papers in the short term as the industry grapples with a shift to open access.

Swiss Universities announced on 16 December that it had signed memoranda of understanding with publishers Elsevier and Wiley for publish-and-read agreements covering open access publication of papers and access to subscription content. Full agreements are expected to be concluded next year, and in the meantime the consortium’s subscription access will be maintained.