The main points raised during the conference are:
- scientific advice must go a step further
and explain the evidence base as well as show different perspectives from
social science, arts and humanities and big data.
- the Scientific Advice Mechanism, the
mechanism set in place by the expert group of independent scientists is
supposed to give its first recommendation in October 2016. It wishes to close
the gap between light-duty vehicle CO2 emissions levels in laboratory testing
and in real life.
- scientists and policymakers do not work to
the same timetables and are motivated differently – so little wonder they
resemble computers running on different operating systems at times.
- scientists operate in a far more complex
environment than in the past.
- scientific advisers need to transform the
language of science into the language of politics, allowing politicians to take
informed decisions.
- today’s society has been referred to as
“post-factual”. The example of vaccination has been raised. According to a
study from Imperial College London, Europe is the most sceptical part of the
world concerning the belief in safe vaccines, despite the fact that medical
researchers consider vaccines to be safe.
- the EU institutions need to base their
decisions on the best available science, as it enhances legitimacy,
predictability, proportionality and accountability – all factors that foster
investments in innovation and promote prosperity.
More details about the conference can be found here.Â
