Research & Academia

Academic journal articles on sub-results of the RECIPES project

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 14:55:44 +0000

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Academic journal articles on sub-results of the RECIPES project

During the RECIPES project time, RECIPES partners have written on sub-results of the project. Below are the publications listed that refer to the RECIPES research.

Sabrina Röttger-Wirtz, "**Case C-616/17 Blaise and Others: The Precautionary Principle and Its Role in Judicial Review – Glyphosate and the Regulatory Framework for Pesticides**", Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 27(4), 2020: 529-542.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1023263X20949424.

Abstract

The approval renewal of glyphosate as an active substance for pesticides in the EU has also kept the Court of Justice occupied. Within this line of case law, the Blaise case is the most recent one. In this preliminary reference procedure the Court was asked to review the validity of the Plant Protection Products Regulation 1107/2009, examined against the precautionary principle as benchmark. The case is relevant not only for the questions raised about the Regulation, but also as it sheds a light on the – albeit limited – use of the precautionary principle in the judicial review of EU legislative measure.

Fritz-Julius Grafe and Harald A. Mieg, "Precaution and Innovation in the Context of Wastewater Regulation: An Examination of Financial Innovation under UWWTD Disputes in London and Milan", Sustainability, 13(16), 2021: 9130.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169130.

Abstract

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) under the guidance of the precautionary principle sets out standards to guarantee high quality water services for European citizens. This creates pressure on European cities to update and renew their water infrastructures in accordance with EU Law at great financial cost. Cities within the Union try to bridge this financial gap with a variety of approaches. This paper presents the cases of London and Milan, both of which were subject to legal proceedings for breaching the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. By example of these two cases, this article details how the precautionary principle affects urban water infrastructure provision, and how the regulation of the primary risk of pollution can both trigger innovation and create secondary risks within the highly integrated urban water infrastructure sector. The London case focusses on an individual infrastructure project and shows how its financial framing has compromised the final outcome, while the Milan case presents a longer-view perspective that shows how structural changes in the urban water infrastructure sector have enabled an environment for sustainable financial innovation. The role of transparency and good local governance practices are emphasized for a successful implementation of the precautionary principle requirements in a city’s water sector. Managing this process effectively can result in meaningful social innovation for urban water infrastructure provision.

Jeroen P van Der Sluijs, "Insect decline, an emerging global environmental risk", Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 46, 2020: 39-42.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2020.08.012.

Abstract

The Earth’s entomofauna seems in an ongoing state of collapse. Insect decline could pose a global risk to key insect-mediated ecosystem functions and services such as soil and freshwater functions (nutrient cycling, soil formation, decomposition, and water purification), biological pest control, pollination services and food web support that all are critical to ecosystem functioning, human health and human survival. At present the attention for insect decline is low in all domains, ranging from scientific research to policy-making to nature conservation. Scientists made urgent calls to prioritise insect conservation. An international treaty for global pollinator stewardship and pollinator ecosystem restoration is urgently needed to counteract the current crisis. A review of insect pollinator conservation policies found that despite scientific calls and public outcry to develop polices that addresses declines, governments have not delivered such legislation, nor have they met basic monitoring needs recommended by experts.

Jeroen P van der Sluijs, Stéphane Foucart and Jérôme Casas, "Editorial overview: Halting the pollinator crisis requires entomologists to step up and assume their societal responsibilities", Current Opinion in Insect Science, 46, 2021: vi-xiii.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2021.08.004.

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.

Laura Drivdal and Jeroen P van der Sluijs, "Pollinator conservation requires a stronger and broader application of the precautionary principle", Current Opinion in Insect Science, 46, 2021: 95-105.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2021.04.005.

Abstract

The accumulating scientific evidence on global insect and pollinator decline is fueling calls for pollinator conservation policies. A broad range of regulating and incentivising policies is undoubtedly needed to address the diverse threats to pollinator abundance and diversity, but implementing policies and regulations is beset by socio-political challenges. Lessons could be learned from the past and current applications of concepts central to biodiversity conservation. Given the uncertainties and data gaps, the concept of the Precautionary Principle (PP) is particularly important. The PP means that when it is scientifically plausible that human activities may lead to morally unacceptable harm, actions shall be taken to avoid or diminish that harm: uncertainty should not be an excuse to delay action. This paper reviews the role of the 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. Specifically, they highlight that ambiguity is a greater challenge than scientific uncertainty, which may be heightened when policies are intended to regulate specific economic sectors. We suggest that more attention should be paid to the discrepancy between the PP as formally included in policies or regulations and its inadequate implementation (too little too late) in a context of scientific uncertainty and societal conflict.

Mieg, H.A. (2022). The Responsibility of Science: An Introduction. In: Mieg, H.A. (eds) The Responsibility of Science. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, vol 57. Springer, Cham.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91597-1_1

Abstract

This is the introduction to the book The Responsibility of Science, containing three parts. I explain both the concept of responsibility and science as an institution. I then present lines of argumentation that run through the essays of this volume and combine them. (i) Responsibility is a relational concept, derived from the verb “to respond.” Therefore, the concept of responsibility refers to a relation involving at least three elements: Someone is responsible for something to someone else. Moreover, responsibility is attributive, that is, resulting from a social attribution of guilt or duties to a person. (ii) Science is meant here to refer to historically developed, institutionalized research and to be thought of independently of the objects of that research. Therefore, by ‘science,’ I am referring to natural and social sciences as well as humanities, and make no distinction between pure and applied science. (iii) This volume lives through the many references that link the chapters and the lines of argumentation that develop in the work, such as Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) as a new approach within EU research policy; the ethical question of the moral person in science; and the effects of the institutionalization and professionalization of science.

De Smedt, K., Vos, E. (2022). The Application of the Precautionary Principle in the EU. In: Mieg, H.A. (eds) The Responsibility of Science. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, vol 57. Springer, Cham.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91597-1_8

Abstract

The precautionary principle is a guiding principle that allows decision makers to adopt precautionary measures even when scientific uncertainties about environmental and health impacts of new technologies or products remain. It is also a debated principle. Proponents of the precautionary principle argue that it provides a framework for improving the quality and reliability of decisions over technology, science, ecological and human health, and leads to improved regulation. Opponents argue that it is incoherent, lacking orientation and that it hinders innovation. The aim of this Chapter is to increase understanding of the perceived tension between the precautionary principle and innovation by examining how the precautionary principle is applied in EU law and by the EU courts.

Themes

Innovation, Precaution, Science

Interesting for

Research & Academia

Scientific Publication

Publishing Date

29 June 2022

BeeCaution seminar on the role of the precautionary principle in chemicals regulation

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 18:16:56 +0000

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BeeCaution seminar on the role of the precautionary principle in chemicals regulation

On January 18th 2022, the precautionary principle in chemicals regulation was discussed in an online seminar with academics and stakeholders.

The seminar was organised by University of Bergen's BeeCaution project, which is a spin-off project of the H2020 RECIPES project. BeeCaution aims to build a Norwegian network of actionable knowledge for precaution by engaging a Nordic audience in RECIPES' discussions on precaution and innovation. The seminar gathered 47 participants with different backgrounds, including students, toxicologists, NGOs, legal scholars, and representatives from public scientific committees.

In the first half of the seminar, a presentation on the precautionary principle in the European chemicals regulation (REACH)’ was given by Christina Rudén, professor of toxicology and regulatory ecotoxicology at the University of Stockholm. Rudén criticised the lack of precaution in chemical regulations in the EU. She talked about what she termed the “Seven Sins” of the EU's chemical regulation, including: that most chemicals are insufficiently tested, that mixed exposures of chemicals are ignored, that there is a structural conflict of interest and lack of transparency in regulatory risk assessment of chemicals, and that the PP is very rarely used explicitly. Rudén also mentioned some possible improvements in the newly proposed Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability as a step in the right direction. This strategy indicates better management of endocrine disruptors and mixture risk and improved transparency. However it remains to be implemented, cross-cutting legislation is still missing, and the structural problems of conflict of interest remain unaddressed.

Prof. Ketil Hylland, toxicologist at the University of Oslo, was invited to comment on Rudén’s presentation. Hylland agreed on the need of a precautionary approach. He mentioned uncertainty around prenatal exposure to low doses of chemicals as an example. He further suggested that instead of focusing on calculating natures tolerance levels of chemicals in risk assessments, the main focus should start from the question whether the chemical is really needed (essential use). Regarding the PP, he found it strange that when looking up the PP in the EU, most of the focus is on the limitations of the principle.

After a short break, the seminar was open to comments from the audience. Topics discussed include:

The problem of ‘paralysis by analysis’
A better testing regime is needed, that is more science-based instead of volume based
The problems of regulatory silos
What counts as ‘essential use’ of chemicals should be discussed more
More interdisciplinary collaboration is needed, especially legal scholars and social scientists need to engage more in debates and research related to regulation of chemicals
The problematics of setting specific thresholds, and that the PP is applied retrospectively
There is a window of opportunity to engage with the implementation of the new chemical strategy
Other relevant cases mentioned: Norway’s GMO legislation and the EUs prolonged process of updating the so called "Bee Guidance" for pesticide assessments

A video of Rudén’s presentation will be made available at the webpage of UiB's BeeCaution project soon.

Organiser

University of Bergen

Contact

Prof. Jeroen van der Sluijs
Email: Jeroen.Sluijs@uib.no

Further Links

BeeCaution project

Themes

Endocrine disruptors, Environment, Governance, Health, Innovation, Precaution, Regulation, Science

Interesting for

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

RECIPES Event

Event Date

18 January 2022

Location

Bergen, Norway

Language

English

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

Precaution and Innovation in the Context of Wastewater Regulation

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:23:49 +0000

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Precaution and Innovation in the Context of Wastewater Regulation

This month, Fritz-Julius Grafe and Harald A. Mieg, who conducted the case study on "Financial risks in water infrastructure planning", have published the article “Precaution and Innovation in the Context of Wastewater Regulation: An Examination of Financial Innovation under UWWTD Disputes in London and Milan”, on the Sustainability journal.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) under the guidance of the precautionary principle sets out standards to guarantee high quality water services for European citizens. This requires European cities to modernise their water infrastructures in accordance with EU Law at great financial cost. How to bridge this financial gap?

This paper uses the cases of London and Milan, both of which breached the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, to show how the precautionary principle affects urban water infrastructure provision. It also details how the regulation can, on one hand, trigger innovation and, on the other hand, create secondary risks within the highly integrated urban water infrastructure sector.

The London case focusses on an individual infrastructure project and shows how its financial framing has compromised the outcome, while the Milan case presents a longer-view perspective that shows how structural changes in the urban water infrastructure sector have enabled an environment for sustainable financial innovation.

Overall, transparency and good local governance practices play a key role for a successful implementation of the precautionary principle requirements in a city’s water sector.

The "Financial risks in water infrastructure planning" case study aims to understand the complexities and controversies around the application of the precautionary principle in the context of urban waste water infrastructure provision.

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

Authors

Harald A. Mieg, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Email: harald.mieg@hu-berlin.de)

Fritz-Julius Grafe, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Published in

Sustainability journal

Further Links

Precaution and Innovation in the Context of Wastewater Regulation: An Examinati…

Themes

Financial risks and urban waste planning

Interesting for

Research & Academia

Scientific Publication

Publishing Date

15 August 2021

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.

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

The Blaise case: The precautionary principle and its role in judicial review

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:06:06 +0000

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The Blaise case: The precautionary principle and its role in judicial review

Glyphosate and the regulatory framework for pesticides

The approval renewal of glyphosate as an active substance for pesticides in the EU has also kept the Court of Justice occupied.

The article “Case C-616/17 Blaise and Others: The precautionary principle and its role in judicial review – Glyphosate and the regulatory framework for pesticides” was published on the Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law by Sabrina Röttger-Wirtz, Assistant professor of EU law at Maastricht University.

Within this line of case law, the Blaise case is the most recent one. In this preliminary reference procedure, the Court was asked to review the validity of the Plant Protection Products Regulation 1107/2009, examined against the precautionary principle as benchmark. The case is relevant not only for the questions raised about the Regulation, but also as it sheds a light on the – albeit limited – use of the precautionary principle in the judicial review of EU legislative measure.

Within the RECIPES project, Sabrina Röttger-Wirtz conducted the case study on "Glyphosate", which analyses the role that the precautionary principle played in the EU procedures for the re-approval of glyphosate.

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

Authors

Sabrina Röttger-Wirtz, Maastricht University (Email: S.Roettger-Wirtz@maastrichtuniversity.nl)

Published in

Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law

Themes

Glyphosate, Precaution, Regulation, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia

Scientific Publication

Publishing Date

10 September 2021

Language

English

Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting 2021 Roundtable

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 12:46:51 +0000

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Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting 2021 Roundtable

Reconciling Science, Innovation and Precaution through the Engagement of Stakeholders

On December 8, 2021, the Society for Risk Analysis hosted the online Roundtable “Reconciling Science, Innovation and Precaution through the Engagement of Stakeholders” at their Annual Meeting “Risk Science and the Policy Interface”. The roundtable convened and facilitated by Dr. Pia-Johanna Schweizer (IASS) discussed interdisciplinary perspectives on the precautionary principle, presenting RECIPES project results, lessons learnt, as well as next steps.

Prof. Kristel de Smedt (Maastricht University) presented insights from the legal analysis of the precautionary principle’s application in the EU. Dr. Fritz-Julius Grafe (University of Zurich) offered results from the case study on "Financial risks in water infrastructure planning" that aimed to understand the complexities and controversies around the application of the precautionary principle in the context of urban wastewater infrastructure provision in Milan and London. Tijs Sikma MA (Rathenau Instituut) gave an overview of key results from the case study comparison, followed by Prof. Jeroen P. van der Sluijs (University of Bergen) who provided reasons why risk assessment should be informed by the precautionary principle. Dr. Marion Dreyer (DIALOGIK) discussed the role of co-creative, transdisciplinary approaches towards developing guidance for the future application of the precautionary principle.

The roundtable concluded with remarks by Prof. Ortwin Renn (IASS) who provided a framework for dealing with risk-risk tradeoffs and Prof. Jonathan B. Wiener (Duke University) who stressed the need for adaptive learning in regulatory systems in a multi-risk world.

Read the abstract HERE.

Organiser

Society for Risk Analysis

Contact

Dr Pia-Johanna Schweizer, IASS

Email. Pia-Johanna.Schweizer@iass-potsdam.de

Themes

Precaution, Regulation, Safety, Science

Interesting for

Policy Makers, Regulatory Authorities & Agencies, Research & Academia, Industry & Business, NGOs & Associations

Event Date

8 December 2021

Location

Online

Language

English

Online conference on precaution and innovation in Germany and beyond

chiara.mazzetti@ecologic.eu — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 14:49:40 +0000

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Online conference on precaution and innovation in Germany and beyond

On the 18 and 19 November 2021, the German non-governmental organization NABU organized the online conference “Vorsorge und Innovation - Fit for Future?”. The meeting was set up to discuss the relationship between innovation and the precaution principle. For two days, the conference gathered experts including academics, government officials, and industry actors.

On Thursday 18 November, after an opening by Michal Schäfer (NABU representative) and Dr. Carsten Neßhöver (representative of the German Environment Agency), Prof Andrew Stirling presented and discussed the current challenges for the governance of technological innovation. Dr Heidi Stockhaus the presented the results of the RECIPES project regarding the effect of the precautionary principle. She explored the legal status and current implementation of both principles in different legal orders. The presentation was followed by a comment by Ulrich Petschow.

On Friday 19 November, the conference continued, and Prof Sebastian Pfotenhauer discussed the role of the precaution principle in risk governance and innovation governance, for a responsible and sustainable innovation process. Dr Pia-Johanna Schweizer then presented the methodology and preliminary results of the RECIPES project, focusing on the co-creative approach.

The event ended with a round table discussion on precaution and its role for future innovation challenges, as well as its possible adaptations. Prof Christian Calliess, Prof Katharina Hölzle, Max Müller and Prof Martina Schraudner discussed different point of views and possibilities – considering the various stakes and challenges of innovation and precaution and suggesting conciliation possibilities.

Organiser

NABU

Contact

Dr Heidi Stockhaus, Ecologic Institute

Email: heidi.stockhaus@ecologic.eu

Dr Pia-Johanna Schweizer, IASS

Email. Pia-Johanna.Schweizer@iass-potsdam.de

Themes

Governance, Innovation, Precaution, Regulation, Safety

Interesting for

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

External Event

Event Date

18 November 2021 - 19 November 2021

Location

Online

Language

German

Research & Academia

Academic journal articles on sub-results of the RECIPES project

Academic journal articles on sub-results of the RECIPES project

Sabrina Röttger-Wirtz, "Case C-616/17 Blaise and Others: The Precautionary Principle and Its Role in Judicial Review – Glyphosate and the Regulatory Framework for Pesticides", Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 27(4), 2020: 529-542.

Abstract

Fritz-Julius Grafe and Harald A. Mieg, "Precaution and Innovation in the Context of Wastewater Regulation: An Examination of Financial Innovation under UWWTD Disputes in London and Milan", Sustainability, 13(16), 2021: 9130.

Abstract

Jeroen P van Der Sluijs, "Insect decline, an emerging global environmental risk", Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 46, 2020: 39-42.

Abstract

Jeroen P van der Sluijs, Stéphane Foucart and Jérôme Casas, "Editorial overview: Halting the pollinator crisis requires entomologists to step up and assume their societal responsibilities", Current Opinion in Insect Science, 46, 2021: vi-xiii.

Laura Drivdal and Jeroen P van der Sluijs, "Pollinator conservation requires a stronger and broader application of the precautionary principle", Current Opinion in Insect Science, 46, 2021: 95-105.

Abstract

Mieg, H.A. (2022). The Responsibility of Science: An Introduction. In: Mieg, H.A. (eds) The Responsibility of Science. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, vol 57. Springer, Cham.

Abstract

De Smedt, K., Vos, E. (2022). The Application of the Precautionary Principle in the EU. In: Mieg, H.A. (eds) The Responsibility of Science. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, vol 57. Springer, Cham.

Abstract

Themes

Interesting for

BeeCaution seminar on the role of the precautionary principle in chemicals regulation

BeeCaution seminar on the role of the precautionary principle in chemicals regulation

Themes

Interesting for

Precaution for Responsible Innovation: New Options to Move Forward

Precaution for Responsible Innovation: New Options to Move Forward

Themes

Interesting for

Precaution and Innovation in the Context of Wastewater Regulation

Precaution and Innovation in the Context of Wastewater Regulation

Themes

Interesting for

The pollinator crisis and the role of entomologists: editorial

The pollinator crisis and the role of entomologists: editorial

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Insect decline, an emerging global environmental risk

Insect decline, an emerging global environmental risk

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

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

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The Blaise case: The precautionary principle and its role in judicial review

The Blaise case: The precautionary principle and its role in judicial review

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Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting 2021 Roundtable

Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting 2021 Roundtable

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Online conference on precaution and innovation in Germany and beyond

Online conference on precaution and innovation in Germany and beyond

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Sabrina Röttger-Wirtz, "**Case C-616/17 Blaise and Others: The Precautionary Principle and Its Role in Judicial Review – Glyphosate and the Regulatory Framework for Pesticides**", Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 27(4), 2020: 529-542.