Assessing Open Science Policy Landscapes in the EU: A Socio-Epistemological Evaluation

This presentation delivers a critical policy assessment of national Open Science (OS) strategies and policies across selected EU Member States, examining their alignment with, and divergence from, supranational frameworks, particularly EOSC and broader EU digital agendas. Drawing on socio-epistemological theory and a critical analysis of policy and infrastructural dependencies within the EU, it explores how national approaches negotiate the balance between epistemic autonomy, institutional capacity, and compliance with common standards.The assessment applies an evaluation framework, encompassing: the existence of national OS instruments (strategy, action plan, monitoring), thematic coverage (open access, open data, education, etc.), stakeholder engagement, legal enforceability, implementation mechanisms, degree of EOSC/EU alignment, incorporation of research assessment reform, evidence-informed policy development, and reliance on national strategic frameworks and development priorities. Countries are evaluated qualitatively, based on policy documents and data sourced from the EOSC Observatory and official national portals. The assessment framework also considers the SMART criteria.Croatia is presented as an in-depth case study of a still-emerging policy ecosystem. The analysis includes the 2023 Draft National OS Plan. Complementing this, the presentation introduces original survey results on OS awareness and perceptions among Croatian researchers and students covering all major OS components conducted throughout 2024 and 2025 with the aim of producing a white paper to inform future policymaking.