Sense about Science has published a new guide setting out how citizens and researchers want their MEPs to use and evaluate evidence when making policy decisions, in partnership with Research Ireland and the FNR.
‘How MEPs use evidence – A mandate for good scrutiny developed by citizens and researchers’ was developed through a series of workshops hosted by national research councils and academies across Europe. Citizens and researchers from a range of backgrounds came together to agree their shared priorities, making this one of the few mandates of its kind to be shaped directly by the public and the research community.
Read the Guide
The mandate sets out, in citizens’ own words, how they would like MEPs to be well-equipped to scrutinise research evidence and data presented to them, and not back away from asking complex questions.
Researchers wanted MEPs to understand the scientific process as one of building up knowledge, with inherent uncertainties inevitable. All groups said MEPs should always ask whether the evidence is strong enough to support the decision they want to make.
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