Udvalget for Forskning, Innovation og Videregående Uddannelser 2011-12
FIV Alm.del Bilag 44
Offentligt
November, 18th, 2011
TothePresidentoftheDanishParliament,MrMogensLykketoft
OpenlettertobegiventoallmembersoftheDanishParliament
WeareverysurprisedtohearaboutthepossibledecisiontoclosedowntheDanishBoardofTechnology(Teknologirådet)aspartofthenationalbudgetfor2012.ThiswillpotentiallycutoffDenmarkfromtheinternationalendeavourofparliamentarytechnologyassessment,atatimewhenweseeanexpansionofourEuropeancooperationtoatrulyglobalnetwork.AsChairsandDirectorsoftheEuropeangroupofnationalParliamentaryTechnologyAssessmentorganisations(EPTA),weconsidertheDanishBoardofTechnologyhasaleadingroleinparliamentarytechnologyassessmentanddeliberativeprocesses.ManycountriesarelookingtoDenmarkforinspiration.Basedonitsuniqueexpertise,theDanishBoardofTechnologyisnowleadinga€5,4millionprojectfinancedbytheEuropeanCommission,withtheaimofestablishingparliamentarytechnologyassessmentinanumberofEuropeancountries,especiallyintheSouthernandEasternpartofEurope.Theneedforknowledge‐basedpolicymakingandthecentralityofparliamentsinthatrespectisnowalsoincreasinglyacknowledgedoutsideEurope.Forexample,theUSCongress(GAO)appliedandwasacceptedasamemberofEPTAundertheDanishpresidencyin2010.AttheEPTAcouncilmeetingintheBundestaginBerlinthisOctober,ChineseandAustralianinstitutionswererepresented.Thegrowinginterestinparliamentarytechnologyassessmentisarecognitionthattechnologyisacentralelementinpoliticalresponsestothegreatchallengesofourtime,suchasageingsocieties,climatechange,energyshortages,securityandresponsibleinnovation.Inaddition,emergingtechnologiessuchassyntheticbiology,nanotechnology,geo‐engineeringandtheever‐changingInternetallchallengeestablishedpolicies.Theglobalscopeoftechnologyhastobealignedwiththenationallevelofpolicymakinganddemocraticprocesses.WebelievethattheDanishBoardofTechnologyhasakeyrolealongsideourowninstitutionsinrespondingtothis.TheDanishBoardofTechnologyisparticularlyaninnovativefrontrunnerinpublicparticipation.Itsachievementsinthisareaarewell‐knownaroundtheworld,andtheBoardhaspioneeredinnovativemethodssuchastheConsensusConferenceandtheglobalcitizenparticipationprojectWorldWideViewsonGlobalWarming.In2010theDanishBoardofTechnologywasgiventheJimCreightonAwardoftheInternationalAssociationforPublicParticipation,onaccountofitsuniqueexpertisein,andcontributionto,thepracticeofpublicparticipation.WearedeeplyconcernedthattheDanishParliamentcoulddecidetoclosedownthisinternationalbestpracticeexampleanddrivingforce.AssisterTechnologyAssessmentorganisationsfromacrossEurope,thepotentiallossofDBTwilldepriveusofaworldclasspartnerinfacilitatingtheanalysesanddebatesonhowtechnologicaldevelopmentshouldbestservesocieties,nationallyandinternationally.WeurgetheDanishParliamenttoreconsiderthedecisiontoclosedowntheDanishBoardofTechnology.Withthedeepestrespect
ArminGrunwald,Director,OfficeofTechnologyAssessmentattheGermanBundestag,DPresidentoftheEPTANetwork2011(EuropeanTechnologyAssessment)
DavidCope,Director,ParliamentaryOfficeofScienceandTechnology,UK
ToreTennøe,Director,TheNorwegianBoardofTechnology
JanStaman,Director,RathenauInstitute,DenHaag,Netherlands
FerranDomínguezGarcia,CAPCIT,LletratdelParlamentdeCatalunya
RobbyBerlosznik,Director,InstituteSocietyandTechnology(IST),FlemishParliament
HeleneLimen,TheParliamentaryEvaluationandResearchUnit(PER),SwedishParliamentMichaelNentwich,Director,InstituteofTechnologyAssessmentattheAustrianAcademyofScience
WernerPeissl,DeputyDirectoroftheInstituteofTechnologyAssessmentattheAustrianAcademyofScienceSergioBelluci,Director,TA‐Swiss,SwitzerlandPaulaTiihonen,CommitteeCounseltotheCommitteefortheFutureintheFinnishParliament
