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White
House Embraces Technology and Science-Based Decision-Making By Sara
Wyant WASHINGTON,
March 16 – The White House Emerging Technologies Interagency Policy Coordination
Committee (ETIPC) issued a set of broad principles that put the Obama
Administration firmly on the record for supporting innovation and embracing
science in federal agency decision-making. “Innovation
with respect to emerging technologies --such as nanotechnology, synthetic
biology, and genetic engineering, among others --requires not only coordinated
research and development but also appropriate and balanced oversight,” notes the
memorandum, which was obtained by Agri-Pulse. “We
share a fundamental desire for regulation and oversight that ensure the
fulfillment of legitimate objectives such as the protection of safety, health,
and the environment. Regulation and oversight should avoid unjustifiably
inhibiting innovation, stigmatizing new technologies, or creating trade
barriers,” the memo continues. The
document, which was signed by John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for
Science and Technology and Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy,
Cass R. Sunstein, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at
the Office of Management and Budget, and Islam A. Siddiqui, Chief Agricultural
Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative, was addressed to the heads of
executive departments and agencies and dated March 11. In
December, agricultural industry leaders expressed concerns over whether or not
USDA staff were politicizing regulations that are required to be
“science-based,” especially after Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack convened
meetings to explore the topic of coexistence for Roundup Ready® Alfalfa (RRA)
and other crops. Vilsack described coexistence as a way for
genetically-modified, conventional and organic producers to all get along in the
marketplace and brought various stakeholders together prior to try to find
common ground. In late January, Vilsack decided to re-approve the planting of
the genetically modified alfalfa after years of legal and regulatory challenges
by the organic industry. The text
of the memo is below: Subject:
Principles for Regulation and Oversight of Emerging Technologies Innovation
with respect to emerging technologies --such as nanotechnology, synthetic
biology, and genetic engineering, among others --requires not only coordinated
research and development but also appropriate and balanced oversight. The White
House Emerging Technologies Interagency Policy Coordination Committee (ETIPC)
has developed the following broad principles, consistent with Executive Order
13563, to guide the development and implementation ofpolicies for oversight of
emerging technologies at the agency level. We share
a fundamental desire for regulation.and oversight that ensure the fulfillment of
legitimate objectives such as the protection of safety, health, and the
environment. Regulation and oversight should avoid unjustifiably inhibiting
innovation, stigmatizing new technologies, or creating trade barriers.
To
advance these goals, the following principles, consistent with Executive Order
13563 and discussed and approved by the ETIPC, should be respected to the extent
permitted by law: Scientific
Integrity: Federal regulation and oversight of emerging technologies should be
based on the best available scientific evidence. Adequate information should be
sought and developed, and new knowledge should be taken into account when it
becomes available. To the extent feasible, purely scientific judgments should be
separated from judgments of policy. Public
Participation: To the extent feasible and subject to valid constraints
(involving, for example, national security and confidential business
information), relevant information should be developed with ample opportunities
for stakeholder involvement and public participation. Public participation is
important for promoting accountability, for improving decisions, for increasing
trust, and for ensuring that officials have access to widely dispersed
information. Communication:
The Federal Government should actively communicate information to the public
regarding the potential benefits and risks associated with new technologies.
Flexibility:
To the extent practicable, Federal regulation and oversight should provide
sufficient flexibility to accommodate new evidence and learning and to take into
account the evolving nature of infOlmation related to emerging technologies and
their applications.
International
Cooperation: The Federal Government should encourage coordinated and
collaborative research across the international community. It should clearly
communicate the regulatory approaches and understanding of the United States to
other nations. It should promote informed choices and both sharing and
development of relevant data, particularly with respect to the benefits and
costs of regulation and oversight. The Federal Government should participate in
the development of international standards, consistent with U.S. law and
guidance (e.g., the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act and OMB
Circular A-119). When Regulation:
The Federal Government should adhere to Executive Order 13563 and, consistent
with that Executive Order, the following'principles, to the extent permitted by
law, when regulating emerging technologies: • Decisions
should be based on the best reasonably obtainable scientific, technical,
economic, and other information, within the boundaries of the authorities and
mandates of each agency; • Regulatory
approaches shall comply with established requirements and guidance such as the
following: • National
Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 ("NTTAA"). Public Law 104-113,
available at http://standards.gov/standards
gov/nttaa.cfm; • "A
Strategy for American Innovation: Driving Towards Sustainable Growth and Quality
Jobs" (September 2009), available at: http://www.whitehouse/. gov
Iassetsl documents/SEPT 20 Innovation Whi tepaper FINAL.pdf;
and http://www.agri-pulse.com/White_House_technology_memo_03162011.asp |