Parlamentarische Technikfolgenabschätzung und Risikokommunikation

Parliamentary technology assessment (TA) has developed in many countries worldwide as a specific approach to scientific policy advice. In Germany, for example, the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (TAB) has been serving the national parliament for more than 30 years. The occurrence of unintended side effects of the scientific and technological advance, in particular of technology-induced risks, has been a major motivation of TA from its beginning until present. Its perspective on risks can be characterized by a pluralist approach observing differentiated perception and evaluation of technology-induced risks among different social groups. In particular, risk perception frequently differs between decision-makers, benefiters, stakeholders, and groups affected by possible hazards and stresses. Therefore, the social dimension of the distribution of chances and risks and their differentiated perception among various societal groups as well as between humans living today and future generations, play a major role in risk assessment by TA. Based on general ideas of deliberative democracy, TA has therefore developed approaches to involve people affected with their partially diverging risk perceptions, values, knowledge, and perspectives. In this article, the motivation and mission of TA in general, and of parliamentary TA in particular, will be introduced. The article focuses on the TA principles of inclusion and participation involving societal groups, stakeholders, and citizens in risk assessment. Lessons learned from previous risk debates, such as on nanotechnology, nuclear waste disposal, and green biotechnology, are exploited for deriving conclusions for modern risk communication at the political level.