Neonicotinoid insecticides

Precaution for Responsible Innovation: New Options to Move Forward

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 10:32:52 +0000

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Precaution for Responsible Innovation: New Options to Move Forward

RECIPES Dissemination Conference

On May 11, the RECIPES project has held its dissemination conference “Precaution for Responsible Innovation: New Options to Move Forward”.

At the conference, the RECIPES project presented and discussed some of the ideas on how to improve the use of the precautionary principle that were developed in consultation with several stakeholders at various points during the project period (the RECIPES guidance). The conference brought together around 90 participants from a range of different actor groups including several of those who had participated in one or more of the RECIPES workshops. The conference was carried out in hybrid format, so the participants joined it onsite or online.

Several of the speakers and panellists stressed that the topicality of the precautionary principle has increased in the past, e.g., due to the increasing transgression of planetary boundaries. They considered the principle to be even more important in the future. They appreciated that the RECIPES guidance reconfirms the importance of the precautionary principle and reinstates its innovative potential, especially by stressing its dual role as a legal principle and safeguard and as a policy principle and compass. They identified the RECIPES guidance as a timely document.

It was emphasised that the use of the precautionary principle requires political discussions at all levels (local, regional, national, EU, global). These would need to open up complex issues to the wider public, involve the knowledge and perspectives of a wide diversity of actors, and deal with (uncertain) risks as well as (uncertain) benefits, and address questions such as “(uncertain) risks and potentially serious harm for whom?” and “(uncertain) benefits for whom?” and “what are sustainable and public-interest-oriented pathways out of interlinked multiple crises such as climate change and loss of biodiversity?”.

It was highlighted that recent reports by IPBES, IPCC and UNEP, CBD and WHO on biodiversity, climate change and environment, agree that solutions for these wicked challenges of a systemic nature, characterized by uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguities, can only be achieved by systemic, multidimensional, cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and participative approaches. The benefit of the precautionary principle would be that it enables solutions for (uncertain) risks in a systemic way that not simply shifts responsibility to the individual level.

For more information, you can find the programme of the conference HERE and the presentations held at the conference below. Moreover, you can find statements by some panellists below (the panellists were not asked to provide a written statement but some have made it available to the RECIPES team).

Welcome note by the coordinator: Guidance for the future use of the precautionary principle, Ellen Vos & Kristel de Smedt (University of Maastricht)
The RECIPES engagement approach: Reaching out to society and policy for developing the guidance - Aske Palsberg & Niels-Kristian Tjelle Holm (The Danish Board of Technology Foundation)
Discussion input no. 1 from the RECIPES guidance: The precautionary principle works best in a double role: safeguard and compass - Tijs Sikma (Rathenau Institute)
Discussion input no. 2 from the RECIPES guidance: The precautionary principle is a knowledge and participation issue - Jeroen van der Sluijs (University of Bergen) and Pia-Johanna Schweizer (Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies)
Intervention by Christine von Weizsäcker
Intervention by Carolina Vigo

In the videos below Christine von Weizsächer and Nina Holland, RECIPES Advisory Board Members, offer their perspectives on the RECIPES project, during the final conference held in May 2022:

Organiser

Dialogik, DBT, IASS, UM, Ecologic Institute with support from KNAW, UiB, K&I and ARC

Contact

Dr. Marion Dreyer, Dialogik

Email: dreyer@dialogik-expert.de

Themes

Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, CRISPR-based gene drives, Endocrine disruptors, Environment, Financial risks and urban waste planning, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s), Glyphosate, Health, Innovation, Microplastics, Nanotechnologies, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Precaution, Regulation, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia, Industry & Business, Funding Sources & Finance, NGOs & Associations, Citizens & Civil Society Organisations

RECIPES Event

Event Date

11 May 2022

Location

Hybrid Format: Online & Brussels

Language

English

The pollinator crisis and the role of entomologists: editorial

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:15:07 +0000

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The pollinator crisis and the role of entomologists: editorial

Pollinator decline, and more broadly insect decline, has become a pressing societal challenge. Jeroen P. van der Sluijs, from the RECIPES Consortium, together with Stéphane Foucart and Jérôme Casas just published the editorial in the Insect Science journal: Halting the pollinator crisis requires entomologists to step up and assume their societal responsibilities.

The decline of bees and other pollinators continues at a high pace, and time for action is running out. Entomologists need to work with and for insects, in a much more complex settings but in a more positive and nurturing attitude. They need to step up to increase the policy relevance of their research, to help adequately diagnose the problem, and to help develop timely structural solutions and policy options. Breakthroughs such as the ban of an entire class of proven harmful pesticides implied in pollinator decline became only possible following deep engagement of scientists with all stakeholders and entomologists assuming their societal responsibilities. This needs to become the norm, not the exception.

Jeroen P. van der Sluijs is professor at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities at the University of Bergen, Norway. Within the RECIPES project, he conducted the case study on "Neonicotinoid insecticides", which outlines scientific uncertainties and ambiguities regarding the effects of neonics on pollinators.

A full overview of the RECIPES’s case studies can be found HERE.

Authors

Jeroen P. van der Sluijs (Email: jeroen.sluijs@uib.no)

Stéphane Foucart

Jérôme Casas

Published in

Insect Science journal

Themes

Environment, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

Scientific Publication

Publishing Date

27 September 2021

Language

English

Insect decline, an emerging global environmental risk

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:12:24 +0000

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Insect decline, an emerging global environmental risk

Over the past decades, evidence has mounted that the Earth’s entomofauna is in an ongoing state of collapse. Globally, insects make up three quarters of animal and plant species. But these little things that run the world seem to have been widely overlooked in science, nature conservation and environmental policy-making and law-making.

Jeroen P. van der Sluijs, Professor in Theory of Science & Ethics of the Natural Sciences at the University of Bergen, has published the article “Insect decline, an emerging global environmental risk”, on the Environmental Sustainability journal.

An international treaty for global pollinator stewardship and pollinator ecosystem restoration is urgently needed to counteract the current crisis. Scientists made urgent calls to prioritise insect conservation. In 2018, the EU Pollinators Initiative started, but the European Court of Auditors found that the Commission approach to the protection of wild pollinators is inconsistent, policies are flawed, and the Pollinators Initiative does not have the tools and mechanisms to address those gaps. Are view of insect pollinator conservation policies in the US found that despite scientific calls and public outcry to develop policy that addresses declines, multi-state agreements have not delivered such legislation nor met basic monitoring needs recommended by experts.

Within the RECIPES project, Jeroen P. van der Sluijs and Laura Drivdal conducted the case study on "Neonicotinoid insecticides", which outlines scientific uncertainties and ambiguities regarding the effects of neonics on pollinators.

A full overview of the RECIPES’s case studies can be found HERE.

Authors

Jeroen P. van der Sluijs, University of Bergen (Email: jeroen.sluijs@uib.no)

Published in

Environmental Sustainability journal.

Themes

Environment, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Precaution, Regulation, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

Scientific Publication

Publishing Date

20 October 2021

Language

English

Pollinator conservation requires a stronger and broader application of the precautionary principle

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:10:37 +0000

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Pollinator conservation requires a stronger and broader application of the precautionary principle

Pollinator decline, and more broadly global insect decline, is increasingly recognised as an emerging global environmental risk urgently requiring an internationally coordinated and integrated policy response.

The paper “Pollinator conservation requires a stronger and broader application of the precautionary principle”, published on the Insect Science journal by Jeroen van der Sluijs and Lura Drivdal, from the University of Bergen, reviews the role of the Precautionary Principle (PP) in pollinator conservation.

The current research front is fragmented: the PP is briefly mentioned as relevant in literature on biodiversity conservation because of the scientific uncertainties regarding insect decline and their diverse drivers. A separate strand of literature contains studies on specific cases where the PP has played a role in the regulation of specific threats to pollinators: systemic insecticides and global trade in bees. Although limited to two significant threats to pollinator abundance and diversity, these studies provide important lessons on the challenges of implementing precautionary pollinator conservation policies and underline socio-political aspects of the ‘human-dimensions’ of pollinator conservation.

A full overview of the RECIPES’s case studies can be found HERE.

Authors

Laura Drivdal, University of Bergen (Email: Laura.Drivdal@uib.no)

Jeroen P. van der Sluijs, University of Bergen (Email: jeroen.sluijs@uib.no)

Published in

Insect Science journal

Themes

Environment, Health, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Precaution, Regulation, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

Scientific Publication

Publishing Date

21 April 2021

Language

English

Pollinator conservation requires a stronger and broader application of the precautionary principle

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 18:46:49 +0000

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Pollinator conservation requires a stronger and broader application of the precautionary principle

A full overview of the RECIPES’s case studies can be found HERE.

Contact

Jeroen P. van der Sluijs, University of Bergen

Email: jeroen.sluijs@uib.no

Themes

Environment, Health, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Precaution, Regulation, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

Date

21 April 2021

European Policy Workshop: “Precaution for responsible innovation”

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 18:26:38 +0000

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European Policy Workshop: “Precaution for responsible innovation”

On February 22 and 23, the RECIPES project will organize the European Policy Workshop: “Precaution for responsible innovation”.

The workshop aims to review the pre-final version of the RECIPES guidance on how to ensure the PP’s ability to drive responsible innovation. It will take place online and will address, as main target groups, EU policy makers, European agencies, EU policy support organizations and bodies and similar experts.

Participants will have the chance to discuss a pre-final version of the RECIPES guidance (Sent in advance to registered guests). A series of Break-out sessions taking place on both days will allow participants to discuss the guidance to further improve its clarity, plausibility, policy relevance and future-orientation, as well as to brainstorm on the exploitation of the document.

For more information, you can find the programme of the Workshop HERE.

The workshop will be moderated by the RECIPES partners.

Organiser

Dialogik, DBT, IASS with support from UM, KNAW, UiB, K&A and ARC

Contact

Frank Dratsdrummer, Doalogik

Email: dratsdrummer@dialogik-expert.de

Themes

Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, CRISPR-based gene drives, Endocrine disruptors, Environment, Financial risks and urban waste planning, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s), Glyphosate, Governance, Health, Innovation, Microplastics, Nanotechnologies, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Precaution, Regulation, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

RECIPES Event

Event Date

22 February 2022 - 23 February 2022

Location

Online

Language

English

Insect decline, an emerging global environmental risk

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 15:48:04 +0000

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Insect decline, an emerging global environmental risk

A full overview of the RECIPES’s case studies can be found HERE.

Contact

Jeroen P. van der Sluijs, University of Bergen

Email: jeroen.sluijs@uib.no

Themes

Environment, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Precaution, Regulation, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

Date

20 October 2020

The pollinator crisis and the role of entomologists: editorial

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 13:51:05 +0000

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The pollinator crisis and the role of entomologists: editorial

A full overview of the RECIPES’s case studies can be found HERE.

Contact

Jeroen P. van der Sluijs, University of Bergen

Email: jeroen.sluijs@uib.no

Themes

Environment, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

Date

30 September 2021

1st BeeCaution project seminar on "Neonicotinoids, pollinators and the precautionary principle in the EU and Norway"

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 11:19:58 +0000

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1st BeeCaution project seminar on "Neonicotinoids, pollinators and the precautionary principle in the EU and Norway"

On the 29th of April 2021, the BeeCaution project held its first seminar on the subject of “Neonicotinoids, pollinators and the precautionary principle in the EU and Norway”.

BeeCaution is a national spin-off project of the H2020 RECIPES project. The aim is to build a Norwegian epistemic network of relevant actors to engage in the RECIPES discussion on precaution and innovation, looking specifically at the case study on neonicotinoid pesticides and bees.

The participants of this seminar were a diverse group of researchers and practitioners, including biologists, chemists, plant protection experts, bee experts, political scientists and theorists of science.

The seminar started with an introduction by prof. Jeroen van der Sluijs, who presented some insights from the RECIPES study on the neonicotinoids and bees, highlighting how the implementation of precautionary regulations of neonicotinoids has been slow and pointing out that the current bans have loopholes that should be addressed.

A second introduction was given by an UiB legal scholar, prof. S. Eskeland Schütz, who provided an overview of the environmental law in Norway and the European Union, focusing on the tension between legal predictability and adaptability, and between the principle of proportionality and the precautionary principle.

In the following discussions, several topics were mentioned: Firstly, the margin for deviation from the EU’s regulatory framework concerning pesticides and chemicals, as well as the problem of regulators needing resources in order to justify national restrictions were highlighted. Secondly, popular initiatives dealing with pollinator decline were mentioned, and it was argued that in Norway, the Supreme Court’s ruling in the so-called climate lawsuit leaves civil society with limited room for legal redress. Thirdly, the problems of loopholes in neonics regulations were discussed - for instance the use of neonics in veterinary medicine and the use of neonics in Norwegian aquaculture. The problem of neonics being regulated by different authorization regimes and different regulatory bodies both in the EU and in Norway was highlighted. Furthermore, the delay in the approval of The Bee Guidance document was pointed out, as regulators make use of tests that are not fit for gauging the sublethal effect of PPP on bees and wild bees in particular. The division of labor between regulatory and academic science was also discussed in this light and the inability of regulatory sciences to adapt fast enough to technological and the resulting need for academic researchers to “plug the holes” was emphasized. Additionally, it was argued that available research indicates that the scope for integrated plant protection is restricted by the broader regulatory context. Lastly, participants discussed their experiences of collaborating with national regulators, and the invitation of representatives of the regulatory authorities in forthcoming seminars was encouraged.

BeeCaution will hold new seminars this fall, during which these discussions will be expanded and continued.

Contact

Jeroen van der Sluijs, Jeroen.Sluijs@uib.no

Laura Drivdal, Laura.Drivdal@uib.no

Themes

Neonicotinoid insecticides, Precaution, Regulation, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

External Event

Event Date

29 April 2021

Location

Norway

Language

English

Analysis of the case studies

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 10:02:10 +0000

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Analysis of the case studies

To fully understand the complexities and the controversies around the application of the precautionary principle, the RECIPES project conducted nine case studies. The aim was to understand and explain the potential differences in the application depending on the topic and the context. A comparison across the different cases indicates that the application of the precautionary principle had positive effects on innovation and contributed to more responsible pathways.

Back in 2019, the RECIPES project finalised the selection of the case studies and developed a conceptual framework focusing on the role of the case studies within the project as well as a methodological framework for the individual case study analyses.

An overview of all case studies can be found HERE, while the conceptual framework and the methodological framework can be found HERE.

Gender Analysis

The RECIPES project is committed to take gender aspects into account when conducting its research. To this end, a note has been developed to inform case study authors on how to reflect gender considerations in the different research steps. The note is available HERE.

Case Studies documentation

Over the course of 2020, the case study authors have engaged in research and drafting. They prepared a report, a factsheet and a short video for all nine cases:

Case study 1: CRISPR-based gene drives
Case study 2: Genetically modified organisms
Case study 3: Endocrine disruptors
Case study 4: Neonicotinoid insecticides
Case study 5: Nanotechnologies
Case study 6: Glyphosate
Case study 7: Financial risks in water infrastructure planning
Case study 8: The use of artificial intelligence in healthcare
Case study 9: Microplastics in food products and cosmetics

All case studies have been bundled in one report, which can be found HERE.

As a last step, the RECIPES project compared the different case studies and identified complexities and controversies surrounding the application of the precautionary principle in the different cases. The report, which combines the inter-case study analysis and the identification of cross-cutting issues is available HERE.

Lessons learnt

When comparing the nine case studies, the RECIPES project identified several lessons learnt in regard to the relevance of the precautionary principle, procedures for its application and effects of the precautionary principle. Lessons learnt include the following:

Relevance: It is necessary to take a broader array of potential consequences into account when developing a new technology and to openly communicate the limitations of scientific knowledge as well as of technological solutions.
Procedures: Although deliberative methods and procedures have proven valuable for public involvement, more guidance is needed on the scope of procedures and methods to acknowledge differences e.g. in the evidence base.
Effects: While the case studies indicated that there is a need to stimulate pathways for innovation, more empirical research is required to test the claim that the precautionary principle hinders innovations in the European Union.

The RECIPES project also compared the results of the case study analysis with the results of the stocktake of the precautionary principle conducted in 2019. The results of the stocktake can be found HERE. The comparison of results can be found HERE.

Authors

Please refer to the individual reports for the list of authors.

ISBN/ISSN/DOI

N/A

Themes

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia, Industry & Business, Funding Sources & Finance

Case Study

Report

Publishing Date

11 March 2021

Language

English