The European Physical Journal C - EPJC Policy on Geopolitical Conflict

The publishers of EPJC have condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, cf https://en.sif.it/news/917 (this opens in a new tab) and https://www.springernature.com/gp/advancing-discovery/springboard/blog/blogposts-open-research/springer-nature-condemns-russian-invasion/20191448 (this opens in a new tab).

Relevant legislation further limits our business transactions with Russia and related occupied territories, but we are currently not required to impose any a priori restrictions on collaboration with Russian authors and Editors (more concretely: with anyone with a Russian institutional affiliation), the latter also including some of our EPJC editorial colleagues. Whether the publishers will decide (or be requested to take) further measures/restrictions on their own as the situation evolves remains open. Further restrictions may come and evolve very dynamically through leading research institutions or relevant scientific committees.                     

In particular, please also note this recent statement by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)  https://publicationethics.org/news/clarification-cope-advice-editors-geopolitical-intrusions-editorial-decisions (this opens in a new tab): "Editorial decisions should not be affected by the origins of the manuscript, including the nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, or religion of the authors. Decisions to edit and publish should not be determined by the policies of governments or other agencies outside of the journal itself."

Accordingly and for now we shall endeavor together to continue journal operations in the COPE spirit.

The Publishers / The Editors-in-Chief