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regulation of the development of new technologies being
only one example.
4. Conclusion: Some ways forward
This section gives some possible solutions for a new
model of citizen participation in establishing regulatory
frameworks for new technologies. They involve public
decisions at different scales: firstly in the long term, but also
in the shorter term, and finally for on-going commercial
negotiations.
The rejection of non-transparency
In the development of innovation and new technologies,
the first possible solution — and unfortunately the easiest
one — would be to say as little as possible and to avoid
presenting and debating the risks. This solution may be
tempting for some. But, for us, this is a losing strategy in
the long run: the first incident associated with a given new
technology would spark a media campaign that could stop
its development. We shall therefore take for granted that
the participation of civil society (public and all stakeholders)
is necessary in the definition and treatment of a regulatory
framework for new technologies.
Long-term solutions
(i) In the long run, it seems absolutely necessary to try
to rehabilitate scientific culture and to learn to discuss
and exchange views on — in other words, to debate —
technical issues.
Another way forward is to strengthen the level of scientific
culture and ethical approaches: the ability to explain major
ethical questions and to create common rules in order to
live together. Many such actions already exist in research
and cultural institutions. However, these approaches must
be embedded into the different communities by creating
new audiences and facilitating multicultural dialogue and
exchanges of expertise. For instance, in-depth discussions
with lawyers are also needed to develop innovation.
(ii) According to surveys, two kinds of structures are
considered trustworthy by French people:
• Multi-actor structures (grouping politicians, industrialists,
experts, associations, policemen, firemen and general
practitioners), which are considered particularly reliable.
• Independent authorities on food safety.
Using these bodies in public debates may be a way forward.
Some shorter-term solutions
In the shorter term, the public debate on a regulatory
framework for the development of new technologies (or for
a moratorium on them):
• can no longer be conceived as a one-time debate of four
or six months, but rather as a continuous process which will
last several years. In her policy brief about nanotechnologies,
Aude Teillant points out that “it seems essential to set up
permanent forums that are open to all stakeholders and
whose objective is not to reach a consensus on a given
issue but to express diverging points of view freely. Such
a framework would help identify the scientific, ethical and
social issues raised by these new technologies”. In fact, some
long-term structures for exchange and debate are needed
to support the development of a new technology (or a
moratorium).
• should rely on international scientific knowledge — as
rigorous as possible — about the questions involved: it is
absolutely essential to understand what science is able and
is not able to say on a given topic. The IPCC is probably the
best example. It is clear, however, that these results must
not be the only basis on which the policy maker will take
his decision: it is necessary to add, country by country, the
outcome of debates with citizens. It should be stressed that
if this scientific step seems absolutely necessary for the
decision-making process, it should not be considered as
sufficient: the participation of civil society is the following
step, as essential as the scientific assessment. (In the best
process, there would be interactions and issues coming
from the public that would be dealt by scientific experts).
• would train leaders (political, industrial, social, etc.) about
decision making in a social and political environment marked
by the increasing complexity of the relationship between
science, society and innovation environments and by public
debate 10 .
• would, before a public decision is taken, multiply (for
instance under the authority of the CNDP) the forms of
debate by holding meetings open to the public but also
by asking other groups (public structures, associations) to
organize their own debate on a given subject. There are,
however, some necessary conditions for a good debate: its
goal must be clearly defined, like the issues on which the
government wishes further enlightenment; the public must
not feel that the decision has already been made before its
participation; in its commentaries on the final decision, the
Government must clearly indicate how it has taken account
of the main arguments presented in the debate.
• would find some legitimacy on the World Wide Web,
where the experts’ assumptions and assertions will be
scrutinized and challenged. Since the start of the twentyfirst
century, a widely interconnected global society has
emerged. Time and space will now never be managed as
they used to be. ‘ATAWAD’ — connected at any time,
anywhere, with any device — is the synthesis, and the
symbol, of this trend. Digital natives themselves will probably
feel outdated compared to the ‘immersive technologies’
natives who will be raised and educated between now and
2050.
In the shortest term, a novel scheme for high stakes/
high risk ongoing commercial negotiations