Issues in the Regulation of GMOs. Bridging the Gap between Science and Socio-Economic Considerations

Genetically modified organisms set up a specific, complicated, and essentially politicized problem for EU policy on health and the environment. A problem created by agricultural biotechnologies is that they bring about... [ view full abstract ]

Genetically modified organisms set up a specific, complicated, and essentially politicized problem for EU policy on health and the environment. A problem created by agricultural biotechnologies is that they bring about uncertainty as to their potential risks. Available scientific and technical data is important in preparing EU policy on the environment and in dealing with the challenges posed by perception of risks associated with GMOs.
In the EU, the methodology of risk regulation on GMOs comprises three stages: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. The environmental risk assessment of GMOs is understood as the evaluation of risks to human health and the environment, whether direct or indirect, immediate or delayed, which the deliberate release or the placing on the market of GMOs may pose.
In the field of the environment, the doctrine of risk regulation is concerned with the governance of risks to health and safety, weighed up against economic interests such as the cost of regulatory measures and their potential negative impact on trade. In other words, a health protection measure can affect trade negatively, as well as trade liberalisation can affect health protection interests.
EU policy on health and the environment relies on scientific evidence. By the example of cases in the field of EU regulation on GMOs, I will analyse the interrelation between scientific knowledge, economic interests and non-economic values. I will examine whether the legally relevant facts established by scientific risk assessment are able to contribute to economic development by reconciling the conflicting interests of trade and heath protection.
Therefore, I would like to elaborate on the role of science in EU environmental decision making. This question is important since environmental risk management and proper application of EU policy on the environment depends on whether EU officials and judges handle these issues in a way that follows on objectivity provided by scientific evidence, without a bias, and over political concerns provoked by GMOs. As an outcome, the proposed presentation will offer solutions for bridging the gap between risk assessment and science-informed policy in the field of agricultural biotechnology.