Recent developments of technology assessment and environmental impact assessment in europe

Abstract

In the last few years, there has been a rising interest in some European countries in both technology assessment (TA) and environmental impact assessment (EIA). The institutional commitments to TA in Austria, F R Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden are described. They show promising concepts for introducing TA into political and industrial policy making. In some concepts, the role of public participation in TA is given special attention. European discussions on EIA are currently in a very dynamic stage, as several members of the European Community should, according to a previous agreement, pass EIA legislation in 1988. Some central issues of discussion, and conflicting views on different implementation options, are described. © 1988 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.