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Code of Ethics for OpenAIRE AMKE

Last Update: 14.07.2025

OpenAIRE A.M.K.Ε. is a non-profit partnership, whose aim is to ensure a permanent presence and structure for a European-wide national policy and open scholarly communication infrastructure.

OpenAIRE promotes open scholarship and improves the discoverability, accessibility, shareability, reusability, reproducibility and monitoring of data-driven research results, across scientific disciplines and thematic domains, cross-border in Europe and beyond. As an international non-profit legal entity, OpenAIRE A.M.K.E. adheres to the highest ethical standards that allow it to earn trust every day and in every possible interaction.

  1. Personal and Professional Integrity All staff, board members and partners of the organization act with honesty, integrity and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the organization. The organization promotes a working environment that values respect, fairness, and integrity.
  2. Mission The organization has a clearly stated mission and purpose, approved by the board of directors, in pursuit of the public good, that is, promoting open scholarship and improves the discoverability, accessibility, shareability, reusability, reproducibility and monitoring of data-driven research results, across scientific disciplines and thematic domains, cross-border in Europe and beyond. All of its programs support that mission, and all who work for or on behalf of the organization understand and are loyal to that mission and purpose. The mission is responsive to the constituency and communities served by the organization and of value to society at large.
  3. Governance The organization has an active governing body that is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the organization and oversight of the finances, operations, and policies of the organization. The governing body (a) Ensures that its board members or trustees have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties and that all members understand and fulfill their governance duties acting for the benefit of the organization and its public purpose; (b) Has a conflict of interest policy that ensures that any conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof are avoided or appropriately managed through disclosure, recusal or other means; and (c) Is responsible for the hiring, firing, and regular review of the performance of the chief executive officer, and ensures that the compensation of the chief executive officer is reasonable and appropriate; (d) Ensures that the CEO and appropriate staff provide the governing body with timely and comprehensive information so that the governing body can effectively carry out its duties; € Ensures that the organization conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty; (f) Ensures that the organization promotes working relationships with board members, staff, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness; (g) Ensures that the organization is fair and inclusive in its hiring and promotion policies and practices for all board, staff and volunteer positions; (h) Ensures that policies of the organization are in writing, clearly articulated and officially adopted; (i) Ensures that the resources of the organization are responsibly and prudently managed; and, (l) Ensures that the organization has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively.
  4. Legal Compliance The organization is knowledgeable of and complies with all laws, regulations and applicable international conventions.
  5. Openness and Disclosure The organization provides comprehensive and timely information to the public, the media, and all stakeholders and is responsive in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information. All information about the organization will fully and honestly reflect the policies and practices of the organization. Basic informational data about the organization, reviews and compilations, and audited financial statements will be posted on the organization’s website or otherwise available to the public. All solicitation materials accurately represent the organization’s policies and practices and will reflect the dignity of program beneficiaries. All financial, organizational, and program reports will be complete and accurate in all material respects.
  6. Program Evaluation The organization regularly reviews program effectiveness and has mechanisms to incorporate lessons learned into future programs. The organization is committed to improving program and organizational effectiveness and develops mechanisms to promote learning from its activities and the field. The organization is responsive to changes in its field of activity and is responsive to the needs of its constituencies.
  7. Inclusiveness and Diversity The organization has a policy of promoting inclusiveness and its staff, board and volunteers reflect diversity in order to enrich its programmatic effectiveness. The organization takes meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in its hiring, retention, promotion, board recruitment and constituencies served.
  8. Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is defined as any behaviour of a sexual nature that affects the dignity of women and men, which is considered as unwanted, unacceptable, inappropriate and offensive to the recipient, and that creates an intimidating, hostile, unstable or offensive work environment. The organization condemns any behaviour of this nature, verbal, physical or non-verbal, discourages this behaviour by promoting a policy of respect and imposes disciplinary rules against the harasser as well as against anyone who makes false assertions. The organization adopts protecting and remedial measures for the victim.
  9. Confidentiality The organization is committed to not exposing, disclosing or endangering information of customers, employees, stakeholders or our business.
  10. Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

In line with OpenAIRE’s mission to advance Open Science and research integrity, the organisation recognises the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this context. In cases of AI-enhanced services, OpenAIRE aligns with the applicable AI legislation and is committed to the ethical, transparent, and responsible use of AI tools.

All staff, board members, partners, and collaborators must ensure that any use of AI tools - including generative AI, whether for internal purposes or for AI-enhanced services offered to users externally- adheres to the following principles:

  • Compliance and Accountability: All AI systems and tools must comply with applicable laws and regulations, including the EU AI Act, and be used in accordance with established guidelines for trustworthy and responsible AI in research.
  • Transparency: The use of AI tools must be clearly disclosed, ensuring that stakeholders are informed about the role and extent of AI involvement.
  • Human Oversight: Design and deliver AI-supported services in a manner that reinforces scientific integrity, transparency, and reproducibility, ensuring that human oversight and accountability remain central to all AI applications.
  • Fairness and Non-Discrimination: AI tools must be used in ways that uphold fairness, inclusivity, and non-discrimination, and must be regularly assessed for potential biases or unintended consequences.
  • Data Protection and Privacy: The use of AI must respect the confidentiality, privacy, and security of data, in line with organisational policies and relevant data protection regulations.
  • Integrity and Reproducibility: AI-generated content or results must be subject to rigorous validation and, where possible, reproducibility checks. The provenance and limitations of AI-generated outputs must be clearly documented.
  • Continuous Learning and Improvement: The organisation will regularly review and update its practices regarding AI use, incorporating new insights, technological developments, and evolving ethical standards.
  • Auditability: Where appropriate, AI systems should be designed to enable external auditing and independent oversight.
  • Risk Assessment: AI systems must be assessed and categorised based on their potential risks, with safeguards proportionate to their risk level, in accordance with the EU AI Act.

To ensure that these principles are consistently applied, OpenAIRE will establish an internal AI Ethics Review process to evaluate new AI-powered services prior to deployment.

By embedding these principles, OpenAIRE A.M.K.E. aims to foster trust, uphold research integrity, and ensure that the use of AI tools contribute positively to the advancement of open and responsible scholarship. Accordingly, OpenAIRE shall:

  1. Enable Responsible and Sustainable AI Use
    Promote the development and deployment of AI tools that are environmentally sustainable and socially responsible, including mechanisms to detect and mitigate bias, error propagation, and misuse.
  2. Foster FAIR, Interoperable, and Secure Data Practices
    Support institutions in implementing FAIR principles, ensuring data shared or processed through OpenAIRE services is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable, while meeting high standards of data protection and cybersecurity.
  3. Enhance Capacity and Inclusivity in the AI Research Ecosystem
    Provide equitable access to services, training, and tools that strengthen institutional capacity, bridge digital skill gaps, and empower researchers from diverse disciplines and underrepresented communities to responsibly engage with AI technologies.
  4. Support Collaboration, Transparency, and Open Science
    Facilitate cross-disciplinary and cross-border collaboration through interoperable infrastructures and transparent service frameworks, contributing to a federated European AI research ecosystem and the goals of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).
  5. Engage with Ongoing Policy and Ethical Frameworks
    Ensure that service development and delivery remain aligned with evolving EU-level ethical, legal, and policy frameworks on AI in science, and actively contribute to shaping best practices and guidance through community dialogue and feedback mechanisms.