Comparative Table of Parliamentary TA Institutions
Topics
Generally speaking, the material working fields of CAPCIT are as follows:
- Science, in the broadest sense
- Technology, the Internet and communications
- Bioethics and health
- Environment and energy
- Dissemination and education in the above spheres
Since its inception, CAPCIT has worked on the following areas:
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs or transgenic)
A popular legislative initiative was presented in the Parliament of
Catalonia which sought to ban genetically modified crops. CAPCIT
decided to call for three reports on the topic from various scientific
institutions represented on CAPCIT prior to discussing the issue in the
plenary session of the Parliament of Catalonia.
Human papillomaviruses
Proposals had been submitted in the Parliament of Catalonia to
restrict vaccinations for this virus and more information was sought on
the issue before making a decision.
Nanotechnology
In this case the aim was to turn to good account the work being
conducted by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation and
said foundation was asked to present its work to CAPCIT.
The work of STOA is focused on the five thematic priority areas:
1. Eco-efficient transport and modern energy solutions;
2. Sustainable management of natural resources;
3. Potentials and challenges of the Internet;
4. Health and new technologies in the life sciences;
5. Science policy, communication and global networking.
Recent projects
Projects were recently completed on the following subjects:
Recent workshops
Apart from workshops organised in the context of projects, STOA has
recently organised workshops on such subjects as the following:
In autumn 2011 the
Committee for the Future held a number of hearings with tens of experts
representing various sub-sectors of society. Based on these hearings, the
Committee chose, at this stage, four areas of study for itself during the
parliamentary term 2011–2014:
- sustainable growth
- an inspired society
- acquiring new knowledge, and
- can the welfare society endure?
The themes are chosen from the
Committee’s interests, but also to create a readiness to respond to the
Government’s report on the future (The Finnish sustainable development growth
model in a changing world).
In addition, the
Committee has been making preparations to revamp its work methods, i.e. has
looked closely at how projects are implemented and how the effectiveness of
activities is ensured. This theme was addressed from several different
perspectives in autumn 2011: from the perspectives of direct democracy, social
media and crowdsourcing, with a view to strengthening the formulation of the Parliament’s
futures-oriented policies as well as also from the perspective of rationalising
the Committee’s own work.
These objectives are
being promoted by means of three themes that cut across several dimensions:
- Black Swans (with an open writing
competition intended to elicit suggestions about surprises that will
significantly change the future)
- Crowdsourcing (the Committee for the
Future will increase its visibility in social media and develop participatory
forms of action)
- Radical technologies (what will be
the next technology waves?)
RECENT REPORTS
- Nuclear safety, the scope of the nuclear safety, present
and future outlook of the nuclear industry, by Messrs Christian
Bataille, deputy and Bruno Sido, senator (13th legislature, December
2011).
- Innovation put to the test of fears and risks, by Messrs
Claude Birraux and Jean-Yves Le Déaut, deputies (13th legislature,
January 2012).
- The impact and challenges of the new diagnosis and
therapeutic technologies for the brain, by Messrs Alain Claeys and
Jean-Sébastien Vialatte, deputies (13th legislature, February 2012).
- The stakes of synthetic biology, by Mrs Geneviève Fioraso,
deputy (13th legislature, February 2012).
- Technological breakthroughs in medical science, by Mr
Claude Birraux, deputy, National Assembly report 3723 (13th legislature)
- The stakes of strategic metals : the case of rare earths
elements, by Messrs Claude Birraux and Christian Kert, deputies.
National Assembly report 3716 (13th legislature)
- Endocrine disruptors : a time for caution, by Mr Gilbert
Barbier, senator. National Assembly report 3662 (13th legislature),
Senate 765 (2010 - 2011).
- Nuclear safety : Intermediate report of the special joint
parliamentary committee on nuclear safety, present and future outlook
of the nuclear industry, by Messrs Christian Bataille and Claude
Birraux, deputies, and Bruno Sido, senator. National Assembly report
3614 (13th legislature), Senate 701 (2010 - 2011).
- The pollution in the mediterranean sea : current situation
and perspectives for 2030, by Mr Roland Courteau, senator. National
Assembly report 3589 (13th legislature), Senate 652 (2010 - 2011).
- Assessment of the three-year national plan on radioactive
waste management, by Messrs Christian Bataille and Claude Birraux,
deputies. National Assembly report 3108 (13th legislature), Senate 248
(2010 - 2011).
- Mathematics in France and in modern sciences, by Mr Claude
Birraux, deputy. National Assembly report 3085 (13th legislature),
Senate 222 (2010 - 2011).
- State of research on the prevention and treatment of
obesity, by Mrs Brigitte Bout, senator. National Assembly report 3020
(13th legislature), Senate 158 (2010 - 2011).
- Assessment of the application of Article 26 of the
Bioethics Act, by Messrs Alain Claeys and Jean-Sébastien Vialatte,
deputies. National Assembly report 2718 (13th legislature), Senate 652
(2009 - 2010).
- Mutation of viruses and the management of pandemics: the
example of the A(H1N1) virus (final report), by Mr Jean-Pierre Door,
deputy, and Mrs Christine Blandin, senator. National Assembly report
2654 (13th legislature), Senate 581 (2009 - 2010).
- Management of pandemics: HINI, what hindsight? (report of
the public hearing of 14 June 2010), by Mr Jean-Pierre Door, deputy,
and Mrs Christine Blandin, senator. National Assembly report 2717 (13th
legislature), Senate 651 (2009 - 2010).
- Effects on health and the environment of the
electromagnetic fields produced by high and very high voltage lines, by
Mr Daniel Raoul, senator. National Assembly report 2588 (13th
legislature), Senate 506 (2009 - 2010).
- Pesticides and health, by Mr Claude Gatignol, deputy, and
Mr Jean-Claude Etienne, senator. National Assembly report 2463 (13th
legislature), Senate 421 (2009 - 2010).
- Mutation of viruses and the management of pandemics: the
example of the A(H1N1) virus (interim report), by Mr Jean-Pierre Door,
deputy, and Mrs Christine Blandin, senator. National Assembly report
2314 (13th legislature), Senate 307 (2009 - 2010).
- Faced with A(H1N1) influenza and the mutation of viruses,
what can researchers and the public authorities do? (Report of the
public hearing of 1 December 2009), by Mr Jean-Pierre Door, deputy, and
Mrs Christine Blandin, senator. National Assembly report 2226 (13th
legislature), Senate 204 (2009 - 2010).
- Assessment of the principles applying in France to animal
experimentation and alternative methods to it, by Messrs. Michel
Lejeune and Jean-Louis Touraine, deputies. National Assembly report
2145 (13th legislature), Senate 155 (2009 - 2010).
PUBLIC HEARINGS
- An assessment of French presence in sub Antarctic islands,
by Messrs Claude Birraux, deputy, and Bruno Sido, senator.
- Monogenic diseases : the current situation, by Messrs
Claude Birraux and Jean-Louis Touraine, deputies.
- The stakes of strategic metals : the case of rare earths
elements, by Messrs Claude Birraux and Christian Kert, deputies.
- Technological breakthroughs in medicine, by Mr Claude
Birraux, deputy. National Assembly report 3723 (13th legislature)
- The Alliances : a new dynamic for research, by Mr Claude
Birraux, deputy, National Assembly report 3375 (13th legislature),
Senate 453 (2010 - 2011).
- The inputs of sciences and technologies to the evolution of
financial markets, by Mr Claude Birraux, deputy, National Assembly
report 2987 (13th legislature), Senate 140 (2010 - 2011).
- Lessons to be learnt from the eruption of the volcano
Eyjafjöll, by Mr Christian Kert, deputy. National Assembly report 2851
(13th legislature), Senate 28 (2010 - 2011).
- Is France ready for an earthquake? by Messrs Jean-Claude
Étienne and Roland Courteau, senators. National Assembly report 2721
(13th legislature), Senate 653 (2009 - 2010).
The topics on which TAB conducts assessments comprise a broad range of
actual scientific and technological issues with high relevance for
politics. One focal point lies on the field of environment and health,
examples are reports on "Medicines for Africa", and "Geoengineering".
Another focus is on the dynamic and controversial issue of bio- and
gene technology. To this, TAB submitted reports such as "Gene Doping",
"Transgenic Seeds in Developing Countries". Examples for projects in
the field of resources and energy are "Renewable Energy Sources to
Secure the Base Load in Electricity Supply", "Energy Storage
Technologies", "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage".
Under the umbrella of technology, society and innovation, TAB
studies are focused on identifying potential areas of innovation as
well as the strengths and weaknesses of Germany´s innovation system.
Furthermore, another focus of these studies are the challenges of
research, education, and innovation policies.
SELECTED RECENT AND ONGOING PROJECTS
- Application potential of remote sensing for developing countries
- Organic farming and biomass production
- Electric mobility concepts and their significance for economy, society, environment
- Electronic petitioning and modernisation of petitioning systems in Europe
- Future of the automobile industry
- Geoengineering
- Medicines for Africa
- Modern power grids as a key element in a sustainable supply of energy
- Organic farming and biomass production
- Postal services and modern information and communication technologies
- Regulations for access to the information society
- Renewable energy sources to secure the base load in electricity supply
- Supply of raw materials for high-tech German industries
- Sustainability and Parliaments: Survey and Perspectives RIO +20
- Synthetic Biology
- Technological advances in healthcare: A Source of rising costs or an opportunity for cost savings?
- The future of the automotive industry
- Valorisation of Biodiversity
- White Biotechnology -- present status and future perspectives
A selection of topics in which the Committee was engaged recently:
- Genetically modified food
- Perspectives for the Hellenic satellite HELLAS - SAT
- Briefing on the activities of the National Centre for Marine Research
- Regulatory Authority on Energy
- Internet Addiction of children and teenagers
- Clinical Tests of Medicine
- Renewable Energy Sources
- National Programme on anti-seismic backing of existing buildings
- Digital Course of the nation through the Information Society
- Greek medical research and technology
- Research and technology in food production and the Greek agricultural production
- Greece´s participation in the European Programme for Infrastructure (HiPER)
- Participation in developing a national strategy for research and technology
The Work Programme 2013-2014 (www.rathenau.org)
describes the Rathenau Instituut´s themes and subthemes.
The main themes are elaborated upon in projects. Examples are:
The resilience of knowlegde
infrastructure
- The future of the academic system
- Non-academic public research
institutes
- Exploration of practice-oriented
research
- Scientific careers
- Financing research
Societal Permit of science
and technology
- Attitudes regarding science
- Valorisation
- Democratization of knowledge
- Science communication
innovation 2020
How are we to control our position of competing
economies?
- The future of innovation in The Netherlands:
globalisation and key technologies
- Science as a partner for growth
- Innovation and regulation
- Cocreation of knowledge and
innovation
Hunger for raw materials
in broader perspective
- In search of societal support
- Recycling opportunities
- Climate engineering
- Consumer behaviour
- Long-term food security
Shifting healthcare
- Patients know better
- Measurable humanity
- Medical research
big data, large
consequences
- Algorithm: smart, foolish or dumb /
smarter than an average bear?
- The electronic lifestyle coach
- Digitalisation of our brain
- Digitalisation of risks and
disasters
Our projects cover a broad range of topics, but
currently the focus is on openness and security, innovation in the welfare
state and sustainable technology. We are also partners in international,
EU-funded projects that cover the same topics.
Selected recent projects are:
- Security and openness after July 22nd
- Is a fund for green technology a
good idea?
- Smarter tools – better schools
- Patient 2.0 – the Internet patient
- Climate summit in the classroom
- Blue revolution and the future of
salmon farming
- Synthetic biology
- You Decide – A privacy campaign for
primary schools
- The future of ageing
The
topics have covered different subjects since 2007, many of which have a
bearing on the environment and sustainable development. Recent
assignments have focused mainly on health issues.
- Sustainable cities – focusing on transport, housing and green areas
- Young people´s visions of an urban future: In order to highlight
the views of young citizens on urban futures, participatory scenario
planning and visioning seminars were conducted with three high schools.
- Antibiotic resistance
- Future Day 2012: MPs have the opportunity to discuss different
future issues and their implications for society with a number of
leading researchers and experts invited. Three interdisciplinary
seminars will be organised in which panels consisting of MPs from three
to four committees prepare questions for the speakers
- Nanotechnology and health
- eHealth
In the past few years TA-SWISS has focused on
the following subjects:
Biotechnology and medicine:
-
Robots in the social sector
- Human enhancement
- Personalized medicine
Mobility, energy, climate:
- Deep geothermal energy
- Biomass fuel – second generation electromobility
Information society:
- Localisation technologies
- Flexible new working world
- Media and their power shaping opinions
- Mooc
Nanotechnologies:
- Nanofood
- Nano and the environment
- publifocus Nanotechnology
Social and cultural TA:
Indicators – emergence and use in politics
As of 2017 TA-SWISS is treating or initializing
the following topics:
- Quantified Self
- Social Freezing
- Genome Editing
- Blockchain
- Civil drones
- Sharing
Economy
TA-SWISS is also actively involved
in international projects such as "Parliaments an civil society in technology
assessment" (PACITA) and "surveillance, privacy and security" (SurPRISE), a
large scale participatory assessment of criteria and factors determining
acceptability and acceptance of security technologies in Europe.
POST groups its work activities into six main clusters, listed below
with example projects. Many of the subjects of POST´s attention fall
into more than one of these categories.
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND HEALTH
- HIV - Developments in Prevention and Treatment
- Review of Stem Cell Research
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
- UK Drought Resilience
- Bioenergy
PHYSICAL SCIENCES, ENGINEERING AND IT
- ICT for Disabled People
- Open Source and Open Standards
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT
- Water Adaptation in Africa
- Deforestation
Also falling within this cluster is a special major project that
POST has been running since 2007 concerned with science and technology
capacity building in African parliaments, especially the parliament of
Uganda. Much of this work has been in collaboration with the UK´s Royal
Society. Further details are on POST´s web site. The Commonwealth
Scholarship Commission has also provided fellowships to enable African
parliamentary staff to spend three months with POST and the Houses of
Parliament.
SCIENCE POLICY
- STEM (Science, Technology, engineering and Mathematics) Education for 14–19
Year Olds
- Science in the New Parliament - a special briefing produced for all
parliamentarians after the May 2010 General Election in the UK.
The current medium-term research programme 2012-2014 defines three
major research areas, namely the information society, governance of
technology controversies, and technology and sustainability. Besides
its thematic research areas, ITA focuses on cross-cutting issues, e.g.
monitoring and horizon scanning activities as well as critical
reflection on and further development of TA methods.
In the "Information society" area, ITA addresses three topics. E-governance
deals with the potential of ICT in the field of the state and its
effects. The analyses initially concentrated on the launch of
electronic administration (e-government) and currently focus on the
potential and obstacles of online political participation, which can be
ascribed to the overall concept of "electronic democracy". In the topic
"Privacy" the network of relationships between technologies,
fundamental rights and social/political consequences is analysed as a
basis for deriving options for action. The analysis takes the effects
of new and future ICT on the private sphere as its starting point and
core. In a broader perspective, however, the ITA also addresses other
fields of technology and other basic rights affected. In the third
subtopic, "Networked environments", the ITA deals in particular
with the social consequences of pervasive computing and ambient
intelligence and with the effect of the use of new media on
geographical and social structures and modes of work in science, most
recently specifically in connection with Web 2.0 (cyber science).
The field of "Governance of technology controversies"
studies controversies about new technologies and their significance for
the governance process. Technology controversies have left deep traces
in modern society. Disputes concern not only specific applications
(such as in agro-biotechnology) but also what and how research and
development are to be pursued (for instance with respect to stem cell
research). Current topics in this field are nanotechnology and
synthetic and system biology.
In the field of "Technology and sustainability", against
the background of the social discussion concerning concrete problems
such as climate change or resources shortages and the problems these
give rise to, the ITA examines and evaluates the possible consequences
of technology, and investigates the conditions under which technology
can make a contribution to sustainable development. Current projects
address energy technologies in particular.
The
Assembly has always paid attention to science and technology and its
work also covers topical and emerging issues in the field of science,
scientific research, new technologies and their impact on sustainable
development and society. These are dealt with by different Assembly
committees.
The specific terms of reference of the Committee on Culture,
Science, Education and Media includes the task of maintaining working
relations with the European Science Foundation and the European
Parliamentary Technology Assessment Network. The committee deals with
science and scientific research and the impact of scientific and
technological development on society. The main focus of its work has
been and remains the ethical principles and standards that should
govern scientific research and the use of new technologies.
A General Rapporteur on Science and Technology Impact
Assessment is appointed among the committee´s members with the
following main tasks: to follow activities of other Assembly committees
and liaise with rapporteurs dealing with scientific and technological
matters from other perspectives such as their social, economic, health
and environmental impact; to follow activities and maintain working
relations with national parliaments as well as with relevant
international, intergovernmental, inter-parliamentary or other
organisations including the EPTA Network; and to report periodically
back to the committee on the information collected and the action
taken.
The Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable
Development deals with health protection and the prevention of health
risks; biomedicine, the impact on the environment/ecosystem of sectoral
policies such as transport, energy, water management, and of new
technologies such as nanotechnologies or technologies based on
electromagnetic waves.
Although the Assembly does not directly implement technology
assessment activities, its work in the field of science and technology
is founded on the precautionary principle and seeks to promote the
highest ethical principles and firm standards of transparency,
independence and credibility in assessment, in order to guarantee human
dignity and fundamental rights.
SELECTION OF RELEVANT DOCUMENTS ADOPTED BY THE ASSEMBLY
RECOMMENDATIONS
- 1959 (2011) on Preventive health care policies in the Council of Europe member states
- 1929 (2010) on The handling of the H1N1 pandemic: more transparency needed
- 1885 (2009) on Drafting an additional protocol to the European
Convention on Human Rights concerning the right to a healthy environment
- 1863 (2009) on Environment and health: better prevention of environment-related health hazards
- 1794 (2007) on The quality of medicines in Europe
- 1787 (2007) on The precautionary principle and responsible risk management
- 1512 (2001) on Protection of the human genome by the Council of Europe
- 1468 (2000) on Biotechnologies
RESOLUTIONS
- 1870(2012) on the need for independent and credible expert assessments
- 1816 (2011) on Health hazards of heavy metals and other metals
- 1815 (2011) on Potential dangers of electromagnetic fields and their effect on the environment
- 1795 (2011) on Genetically modified organisms: a solution for the future
- 1774 (2010) on Enhancing Europe´s energy security through greater use of liquefied natural gas
- 1679 (2009) on Nuclear energy and sustainable development
- 1588 (2007) on Radioactive waste and protection of the environment
- 1393 (2004) on Parliaments and the knowledge society
- 1352 (2003) on Human stem cell research
- 1083 (1996) on Parliaments and the assessment of scientific and technological choices
OPINIONS
- 276 (2010) on the Draft convention of the Council of Europe on
counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats
to public health
- 267 (2008) on the Draft additional protocol to the Convention on
Human Rights and biomedicine concerning genetic testing for health
purposes
- 252 (2004) on the Draft additional Protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine on Biomedical Research;
- 227 (2001)on the draft protocol to the European Convention on Human
Rights and Biomedicine, concerning transplantation or organs and
tissues of human origin;
- 202 (1997) on the draft additional protocol to that convention on the prohibition of cloning human beings;
- 198 (1996) on the draft convention on human rights and biomedicine;
ONGOING REPORTS
The ethics of science (Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media)
Nanotechnologies (Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development)
TARGET GROUPS
As for all the work of the Assembly, the key target groups are:
- the parliaments and governments of member states;
- the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;
- The European Union and other international organisations (e.g. WHO).
Of course, all the Assembly reports are also intended to reach European
citizens, in order to raise awareness and gain their support for policy
proposals and guidelines addressed to state authorities.
Most TA work undertaken by BAS in recent years
have been done in the following areas:
- Energy and environment – renewable
sources; nuclear safety; Carbon Capture and Storage; perspectives of shale gas
extraction in Poland; potential for greenhouse gas emission reduction in Poland
and its implications for the energy sector.
- GMO and biotechnology – societal,
economic and political consequences of biotechnologies and of the widespread
use of GM crops.
- Information society – development of
ICT in Poland; e-government and the state of online public services; overview
of Polish strategies and regulations concerning information society; digital
exclusion in Poland (sources of exclusion, social groups mostly endangered by
exclusion and its consequences); e-voting.
- Innovativeness of Polish economy –
final report will discuss the current state of innovation in Poland, innovation
rankings and national and regional innovation policies.
- Climate policy – perspectives for
the post-Kyoto agreement, evolution of the EU legislation and domestic action.
The range of topics GAO could potentially address for the Congress is
quite broad-requests for GAO work can come from any of the 41 active
committees and 181 sub-committees within the U.S. Congress which
reflect the full range of activities of the U.S. Government. Therefore
GAO could be asked to conduct technology assessment work on topics
ranging from energy and climate change, biomedical and health, national
and homeland security, transportation and infrastructure, and
information security concerns, among others.
To date, GAO technology assessments have addressed topics
ranging from biometrics to explosives detection to climate engineering.
A full list of publicly releasable technology assessment conducted by
GAO can be found at www.gao.gov/browse/collection/Technology_Assessment
(c) EPTA, provided by ITA; version 01/2017