ANSES issues a call for applications for the creation of an Expert Committee on Socio-economic analysis
When carrying out its health risk assessment mission, ANSES relies on groups of independent experts from various scientific fields. To better evaluate certain health issues, the Agency can be required to take socio-economic aspects into consideration at various stages of its risk assessments. To broaden its expert assessment capacities in this area, ANSES has decided to create a new Expert Committee dedicated to socio-economic analysis and is issuing a call for applications to that end.
Socio-economic analysis can enhance risk assessments by providing useful knowledge for public debate and decision-making. This may involve insight into the determinants of exposure to a given hazard, the extent of impacts of risk situations, or various management scenarios for reducing or preventing health or environmental impacts.
Over the past 10 years, ANSES has been conducting socio-economic analyses within the framework set out by the regulations on chemical substances (REACh); it has used this type of approach for some of its expert appraisal work. Increasingly called upon to address various socio-economic aspects, the Agency has initiated a process to structure and consolidate this area of expertise, in particular with the creation of a dedicated Expert Committee (CES).
Like ANSES's other CESs, this committee will issue opinions in keeping with the Agency's fundamental principles of scientific expert assessment, especially the rules of independence and transparency that govern the operations of its Expert Committees. The new Expert Committee will deal with socio-economic issues likely to span all of ANSES's topics of work in the areas of food safety, plant and animal health, and environmental and occupational health. Its experts will be required to submit public declarations of interests that the Agency will analyse to ensure there are no conflicts of interests.
“To help us create this expert assessment scheme, we are looking for expert economists, social economists and sociologists motivated by health and environmental issues and driven by a desire to cover various topics and serve the common good. Joining this new scientific committee is an opportunity that is as intellectually stimulating as it is collectively beneficial” explains Karine Fiore, economist and Deputy Head of ANSES's Social Sciences, Expertise and Society Unit.
The call for expert applications is open until 15 September 2021.