Impact Assessments and Emerging Technologies : From Precaution to Smart Regulation?

Regulators are faced with the challenge of foreseeing the effects of new technologies in the market, the environment and society. This implies not only a satisfactory knowledge of the scientific and technical characteristics of emerging technologies, but also a clear understanding of the socio-ethical concerns related to their future applications. How do regulators assess the impacts of new technologies? This chapter examines the analytical instruments in possession of the regulator in the proposal phase of new legislation. It focuses on the systems and methodological approaches for estimating the impacts of new technologies with a particular focus on the European Union Impact Assessments