Statement on negotiations between HE sector and Elsevier

28 October 2021

In the context of ongoing Elsevier ScienceDirect journals agreement negotiations, we are sharing the following statement alongside the UK higher education sector:

Our universities are fully committed to the approach being taken by the UK’s Elsevier Negotiation Team and support the recommendation to reject the most recent proposal from Elsevier on the basis it does not yet meet the two core objectives of the negotiations: to reduce costs to levels which are sustainable, and facilitate rapid transition to full and immediate open access to UK research.

UK universities have agreed a set of negotiation objectives that reflect our shared desire to foster open research. We welcome the progress the Elsevier Negotiation Team has made with Elsevier over recent months, whilst noting their advice that the current proposal does not yet deliver against the sector’s requirements. We hope both parties can continue to work together to achieve a more equitable agreement which allows for the sector-wide management of the open access transition.