Planning Adaptive Risk Regulation

This report comprises a summary of the contributions made at a conference in 2016. The conference was conveyed to discuss two main questions: (1) how can law and regulation keep up with advances in science and technology, and (2) how can regulated parties cope with flexibility and adaptation in regulatory frameworks. The conference featured more particularly thinking about 'Planned Adaptive Regulation' (PAR). Regulation of risk in sectors marked by rapid advances in science and technology needs to rely on projections of risks, benefits, safety, efficacy, and acceptable quality, with updates and revisions as new knowledge becomes available. In fields of new technologies, it is essential to address potential emerging risks without discouraging healthy risk taking and stifling innovative activities. Planned Adaptive regulation may be needed to keep up with changing science and technology.