European Technology Assessment Group
Encyclopedia
The European Technology Assessment Group (ETAG) is a cooperative network of scientific institutions that carries out studies in the field of technology assessment
on behalf of the European Parliament
.
- with the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
(KIT), Germany, as the leading partner - has been providing scientific services for the European Parliament
on social, environmental and economic aspects of new technological and scientific developments.
Like many other parliaments in Europe the European Parliament at the end of the 1980s set up an institution for scientific advice regarding complex social, ecological and economic implications of modern technology and scientific research. At the European Parliament the process of consulting is organised by the STOA panel (Scientific Technology Options Assessment), a parliamentary body consisting of 15 Members of Parliament representing several parliamentary committees. In view of the growing importance of European science and technology policy the European Parliament decided to support STOA’s activities by establishing permanent co-operation with a group of institutions with relevant expertise in the field of technology assessment.
Starting from May 2009 the European Technology Assessment Group (ETAG) for a second period of three years supports STOA by carrying out TA studies. The focus of ETAG’s activities on behalf of the European Parliament will be on studies in the fields of transport
, ICT and Information Society
, nanoscale science and technology
, life sciences
and human well being
as well as agriculture
, food
and biotechnology
.
in their home countries most members of the group have long-term experience in policy consulting for parliamentary bodies and most of them are members of the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment
(EPTA) network. ETAG is made up by the following organisations:
lies with one of the partners. ITAS is responsible for administration, communication with the European Parliament and co-ordination of the activities of ETAG as well as of the group’s co-operation with a wider network of TA institutes in Europe. The work programme comprises studies dealing with a broad range of subjects from different sectors of policy making, such as R&D, the environment, health and energy. Topics included: Converging Technologies; Antibiotic Resistance; Galileo Applications; Sustainable Energy Catalogue; Nanotechnology and Chemical Substitution; Options for Road and Air Transports; Cancer Therapy; RFID an identity management; Intellectual Property Rights; Global Human Health; Future Energy Systems in Europe; Future of European Transport; Technology and the Labour Market; Safety of Tunnels; Direct to Consumer Genetic Testing; Animal Welfare; Human Enhancement; ICT and Energy Efficiency; Agricultural Technologies for Developing Countries.
Studies carried out by ETAG on behalf of STOA are available at STOA’s web page.
Technology assessment
Technology assessment Technology assessment Technology assessment (TA, German Tenteractive, and communicative process that aims to contribute to the formation of public and political opinion on societal aspects of science and technology.- General description :...
on behalf of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
History and Mission
Since October 2005 a group of European scientific institutes active in the field of technology assessmentTechnology assessment
Technology assessment Technology assessment Technology assessment (TA, German Tenteractive, and communicative process that aims to contribute to the formation of public and political opinion on societal aspects of science and technology.- General description :...
- with the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is a German academic research and education institution with university status resulting from a merger of the university and the research center of the city of Karlsruhe. The university, also known as Fridericiana, was founded in 1825...
(KIT), Germany, as the leading partner - has been providing scientific services for the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
on social, environmental and economic aspects of new technological and scientific developments.
Like many other parliaments in Europe the European Parliament at the end of the 1980s set up an institution for scientific advice regarding complex social, ecological and economic implications of modern technology and scientific research. At the European Parliament the process of consulting is organised by the STOA panel (Scientific Technology Options Assessment), a parliamentary body consisting of 15 Members of Parliament representing several parliamentary committees. In view of the growing importance of European science and technology policy the European Parliament decided to support STOA’s activities by establishing permanent co-operation with a group of institutions with relevant expertise in the field of technology assessment.
Starting from May 2009 the European Technology Assessment Group (ETAG) for a second period of three years supports STOA by carrying out TA studies. The focus of ETAG’s activities on behalf of the European Parliament will be on studies in the fields of transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
, ICT and Information Society
Information society
The aim of the information society is to gain competitive advantage internationally through using IT in a creative and productive way. An information society is a society in which the creation, distribution, diffusion, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic,...
, nanoscale science and technology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
, life sciences
Life sciences
The life sciences comprise the fields of science that involve the scientific study of living organisms, like plants, animals, and human beings. While biology remains the centerpiece of the life sciences, technological advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have led to a burgeoning of...
and human well being
Quality of Life
Quality of Life is a 2004 drama film, telling the fictional story of two graffiti writers in the Mission District of San Francisco.Directed by Benjamin Morgan, Quality of Life stars Lane Garrison, Brian Burnam, Luis Saguar and Mackenzie Firgens. Morgan co-wrote the screenplay with Burnam, who is a...
as well as agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
.
Partners
Apart from being leading institutions in the field of technology assessmentTechnology assessment
Technology assessment Technology assessment Technology assessment (TA, German Tenteractive, and communicative process that aims to contribute to the formation of public and political opinion on societal aspects of science and technology.- General description :...
in their home countries most members of the group have long-term experience in policy consulting for parliamentary bodies and most of them are members of the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment
European Parliamentary Technology Assessment
The European Parliamentary Technology Assessment is a network of technology assessment institutions specialising in advising parliamentary bodies in Europe.- Objectives :...
(EPTA) network. ETAG is made up by the following organisations:
- Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyKarlsruhe Institute of TechnologyThe Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is a German academic research and education institution with university status resulting from a merger of the university and the research center of the city of Karlsruhe. The university, also known as Fridericiana, was founded in 1825...
(KIT), which operates the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament - Danish Board of Technology (DBT), which provides consultancy services for the Danish Parliament
- Rathenau Instituut, working for the Dutch Parliament
- Institute Society and Technology (IST)), the TA-institution of the Flemish Parliament
- Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI), supporting ITAS in carrying out TA studies on behalf of the German Parliament
- Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI), rendering scientific services for the Parliament of Catalonia
- Institute of Technology AssessmentInstitute of Technology AssessmentThe Institute of Technology Assessment is a research unit of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna.The ITA is the only institution in Austria that is fully devoted to technology assessment...
(ITA) of the Austrian Academy of SciencesAustrian Academy of SciencesThe Austrian Academy of Sciences is a legal entity under the special protection of the Federal Republic of Austria. According to the statutes of the Academy its mission is to promote the sciences and humanities in every respect and in every field, particularly in fundamental research... - Technology Centre AS CR, an institute active in TA related research run by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech RepublicAcademy of Sciences of the Czech RepublicThe Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic was established in 1992 by the Czech National Council as the Czech successor of the former Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. The Academy is the leading non-university public research institution in the Czech Republic...
Projects
The scientific responsibility for each TA study tailored according to the information needs of the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
lies with one of the partners. ITAS is responsible for administration, communication with the European Parliament and co-ordination of the activities of ETAG as well as of the group’s co-operation with a wider network of TA institutes in Europe. The work programme comprises studies dealing with a broad range of subjects from different sectors of policy making, such as R&D, the environment, health and energy. Topics included: Converging Technologies; Antibiotic Resistance; Galileo Applications; Sustainable Energy Catalogue; Nanotechnology and Chemical Substitution; Options for Road and Air Transports; Cancer Therapy; RFID an identity management; Intellectual Property Rights; Global Human Health; Future Energy Systems in Europe; Future of European Transport; Technology and the Labour Market; Safety of Tunnels; Direct to Consumer Genetic Testing; Animal Welfare; Human Enhancement; ICT and Energy Efficiency; Agricultural Technologies for Developing Countries.
Studies carried out by ETAG on behalf of STOA are available at STOA’s web page.