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Edited by James Wilsdon and Robert Doubleday

Download a free PDF copy of the entire book here

The second in a two-part collection, Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Europe was published in April 2015 and updated in June 2015 to take account of developments in the European Commission. Part one of the collection, Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Whitehall, was published in April 2013, following the appointment of Sir Mark Walport as Government Chief Scientific Adviser. A free digital copy of Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Whitehall can be found here.

Description

Across Europe, scientific evidence and advice is in great demand, to inform policies and decision making on issues such as climate change, new technologies and environmental regulation. But the diversity of political cultures and attitudes to expertise in different European countries can make the task of designing EU-wide advisory institutions and processes both sensitive and complex.

In January 2015, President Juncker asked Commissioner Moedas to report on options for improving scientific advice within the European Commission. In May, the new Scientific Advice Mechanism was announced. At a time when these issues are higher than usual on the political agenda, it is important that the case for scientific advice and evidence-informed policy is articulated and analysed afresh.

To support these efforts, this collection brings together agenda-setting essays by policymakers, practitioners, scientists and scholars from across Europe. Authors include Anne Glover, Ulrike Felt, Robert Madelin, Andy Stirling, Vladimír Šucha and Jos van der Meer. Their contributions outline various challenges but also constructive ways forward for scientific advice in Europe.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

Future directions for scientific advice in Europe
James Wilsdon, Robert Doubleday and James Hynard
(The introduction was updated in June 2015 to take account of developments in the European Commission)

EVIDENCE AND INSTITUTIONS

Science as the fuel of the public policy machine
Robert Madelin, Director-General, DG-Connect

Evidence and policy in the European Commission: towards a radical transformation
Anne Glover and Jan Marco Müller

The in-house science service: the evolving role of the Joint Research Centre
Vladimír Šucha, David Wilkinson, David Mair, Martin Ahbe & Stephen Davies

Scientific foresight at the European Parliament
Paul Rubig

SOME ADVICE ON ADVISERS

A moment of magic realism in the European Commission
Anne Glover

Why it made sense to scrap the post of Chief Scientific Adviser
Doug Parr

Lessons from Finland
Kari Raivio

EASAC and the role of Europe’s national academies of science
Jos van der Meer, Christiane Diehl, Robin Fears, William Gillett and Sofie Vanthournout

ECOSYSTEMS OF EXPERTISE

The role of foundations at the science-policy interface
Wolfgang Rohe and Jeannine Hausmann

Experts as cartographers of policy pathways for Europe
Martin Kowarsch and Ottmar Edenhofer

Social science expertise in European innovation policy
Ulrike Felt

Power, truth and progress: towards knowledge democracies in Europe
Andy Stirling

THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE

Behavioural governance in Europe
Holger Strassheim and Rebecca-Lea Korinek

Innovation: managing risk, not avoiding it
Claire Craig and Mike Edbury

Biomedicine and the life sciences: core issues for science-based policy advice
Jörg Hacker, Stefan Artmann and Sandra Kumm

Partners

This project is a collaborative initiative of four partners; University of Cambridge’s Centre for Science and Policy; Science Policy Research Unity (SPRU) at the University of Sussex; the European Commission; and Stiftung Mercator. It is also a linked activity of the new International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA). The collection was launched at high-level summit on scientific advice in Brussels on 27 April.

For more details, please contact James Wilsdon, Rob Doubleday or James Hynard.

Download a free PDF copy of the entire book here

Members