The precautionary principle in nanotechnology: Who should be precautionary? The role of stakeholders in the governance of nanotechnology.

Our theoretical point of departure in the Risk Society and the new Governance in The risk society of Ulrich Beck seems highly relevant for the discussion on the precautionary principle (PP) within nanotechnologies. The basic idea behind the risk society is that we today to a large extent are exposed to man made risks. In pre-modern times individual feared natural castrophies, while the modern man fears civilisations products like toxic waste and mad cow disease. There have been a shift from Government to Governance in Europe. The main intention behind the concept of governance is to involve stakeholders to take responsibility for the political, economic and juridical developments in societies, in dialogue with political authorities on different levels. This is why it seems very relevant in a project like this to have a stakeholder approach and interview stakeholders that are or might be central in the development of the regulation of nanotechnologies. These questions will be answered by a methodologic al triangulation, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Through qualitative interviews we aim at mapping their attitudes to the application of the PP and what stakeholders they see as central in the debate on the use of the principle in nan otechnologies. Who has the legitimacy to decide who should be precautionary? Have they reflected on whether the consumers will be confronted with the dilemma in the market? Qualitative interviews with consumers are decisive as their attitudes, value s and behaviour can have great influence on finacial and political decisions. Through a limited survey we get data to compare on a European level, and identify developments in the public. Finally we will gather the stakeholders in a workshop to establish a platform for the public discourse on nanotechnologies. One last result from the project is a draft platform for a European project within the 7FP of the European Union