Dilemmas of economic interest versus protection of human health and the environment influenced by the need to manage innovation

Abstract

The actual economic situation and the growing awareness of environmental and health concerns are at the basis of an increasing number of innovative projects. Inherent to the innovative character of these initiatives is the uncertainty on possible risks and their influence on the actual societal organization. It is important that before bringing innovations to the market, or trying to remediate existing problems, regulation should happen in order to avoid irreparable damage or negative impact on the internal market. Interdisciplinary understanding of the topics at hand is necessary, not only to analyze the applicability of existing rules, but also for the development of new legislation.

Thereby one needs to take into account that each new technology has its’ own particularities. Targets and requirements set in legislation should always guarantee enough safety and risk coverage and at the same time not unnecessarily limit innovation and economic welfare. Do the recent European rules incorporate these needs? New approaches are already used: in REACH for the safe management of chemicals and in approaches towards potential risks of nanoscience. To assess the effectiveness of such initiatives, these will be evaluated using the four modes of regulation[1] and the principles of best regulatory practice.[2] Thereby cases will be analyzed in the field of chemicals, nanomedicine and phytoremediation. Once concrete case will, for example, be the actual discussion between Europe and members states on the interpretation of limits in REACH, the role of ECHA-guidances, the impact on the internal market and the role of the industry. Conclusions will be shared and discussed