Lay Knowledge and Public Participation in Technological and Environmental Policy

Will participation foster the successful implementation of the water framework directive? The case of agricultural groundwater protection in northwest Germany

“…One main challenge of Europe's future water management is thus to translate the WFD principles on public participation via national and, in the German case, sub-national legislation to management practice at the catchment and sub-catchment scales where measures will finally be implemented (Jonsson 2005). Assuming that those who are closest to a problem develop the best understanding of it (Steele 2001, Thomas, 1995, it seems plausible that environmental decisions can profit from the factual knowledge that local actors have about environmental issues concerning them (Rydin & Pennington 2000, Ló pez Cerezo & Gonzá lez García 1996. Likewise, the authorities in charge depend on the compliance of those actors who, ultimately, will be influenced by the measures conducted at the local level.…”

Food safety governance and social learning: The Spanish experience

“…The disagreement between consumer organizations and the Spanish Food Safety Agency with respect to making public the risk assessments echoes a long-standing history of complaints by civil society over the generalized lack of transparency in Spanish regulatory systems (López Cerezo & González, 1997). This conXict will show if the food governance system will be able to satisfy civil society because the question of scientiWc expertise and transparency in scientiWc information was at the heart of earlier conXicts over the management of food safety, as in the case of BSE.…”

Narrative policy analysis and the integration of public involvement in decision making

“…Local knowledge incorporated into policy may temper expert knowledge by emphasising the uncertainty and indeterminacies of expert knowledge (López Cerezo and González García 1996). This can create a more cautious approach to decision making.…”