TA in Eastern European Countries: a survey of developments in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland
TA in Eastern European Countries: a survey of developments in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland
Preface
The following articles on TA institutionalization initiatives in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland were first published in the EPTA Newsletter, Issue 11, Nov. 1995. They are reprinted here with the kind permission of the authors. No major new developments have occurred since then. We were, however, informed that the Prague Institute for Advanced Studies (PIAS, see below) has recently obtained support of the Parliamentary Institute, a general advisory body of the Czech Parliament, for its request to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly, to recommend PIAS for membership in EPTA, the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment network.
In this context it should be mentioned that the European Commission has for some time already undertaken special efforts to further research and cooperation with the former Eastern Block countries also in the field of technology assessment and related activities. STOA, the Scientific and Technological Options Assessment unit of the Commission, has carried out several projects in collaboration with research institutions from these countries, so far primarily on environmental issues, energy, esp. nuclear energy, technology transfer and innovation .
These introductory articles on the process of institutionalizing technology assessment in Eastern Europe will be followed, in irregular sequence, by articles from research institutions in the individual countries which have already a focus on TA and/or related activities and their research projects.
(Ingrid von Berg, ITAS)