International Risk Assessment Research Articles

Multiple genotypes of a quarantine plant pathogen detected in New Zealand indigenous plants located in a botanical garden overseas

AbstractXylella fastidiosa is a xylem‐limited bacterial plant pathogen transmitted by insect vectors. It infects a wide range of plant species and causes devastating diseases. Botanical gardens are global repositories of plant diversity exposed to local biotic and abiotic stresses. We used molecular diagnostic tools for the detection of X. fastidiosa in a collection of New Zealand indigenous plants grown in a X. fastidiosa‐infected Californian area to determine if any species were infected with this bacterial pathogen and to help inform biosecurity responses. To this end, 130 New Zealand indigenous plant species comprising 72 genera, growing in the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, California, were screened for X. fastidiosa. Multiple PCR‐based methods were used to detect the pathogen at the subspecies and sequence‐type levels directly from plant material; nine plant species tested positive by at least two PCR‐based methods. All nine infections were identified as X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex sequence types 6 or 7 by the amplification of seven housekeeping genes. Three strains were cultured in vitro and their whole genome sequences were obtained; these strains belonged to three distinct clades within subspecies multiplex, indicating that the infections were not transmitted among these New Zealand indigenous plant species. The information gathered in this study will help to assess the risk of X. fastidiosa to New Zealand indigenous flora and the potential spillover to crops of agricultural importance. The work also shows the applied value of botanical garden collections as sentinels for international plant pathogen biosecurity risk assessment.

New Legal Basis for International Risk Assessment Procedures in Germany: ICAP, ETACA

The new section 89b of the German Fiscal Code finally introduces a legal basis for international risk assessment procedures. Under these procedures, which are designed for cooperation and transparency, the tax administrations of two or more jurisdictions must at the request of the taxpayer provide an assessment of any tax default risks for facts already realized. If the risk is assessed as low, a formal review of these facts in a subsequent tax audit may be redundant.

International Comparison, Risk Assessment, and Prioritisation of 26 Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Three European River Catchments in the UK, Ireland, and Spain.

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) constitute a wide variety of chemistries with diverse properties that may/can pose risks to both humans and the environment. Herein, a total of 26 compounds, including steroids, flame retardants, and plasticizers, were monitored in three major and heavily urbanized river catchments: the R. Liffey (Ireland), the R. Thames (UK), and the R. Ter (Spain), by using a single solid-phase extraction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS) method. Occurrence and frequency rates were investigated across all locations over a 10-week period, with the highest concentration obtained for the flame retardant tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) at 4767 ng∙L-1 in the R. Thames in Central London. Geographical variations were observed between sites and were partially explained using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). In particular, discrimination between the R. Ter and the R. Thames was observed based on the presence and concentration of flame retardants, benzotriazole, and steroids. Environmental risk assessment (ERA) across sites showed that caffeine, a chemical marker, and bisphenol A (BPA), a plasticizer, were classified as high-risk for the R. Liffey and R. Thames, based on relative risk quotients (rRQs), and that caffeine was classified as high-risk for the R. Ter, based on RQs. The total risks at each location, namely ΣRQriver, and ΣrRQriver, were: 361, 455, and 723 for the rivers Liffey, Thames, and Ter, respectively. Caffeine, as expected, was ubiquitous in all 3 urban areas, though with the highest RQ observed in the R. Ter. High contributions of BPA were also observed across the three matrices. Therefore, these two compounds should be prioritized independently of location. This study represents a comprehensive EDC monitoring comparison between different European cities based on a single analytical method, which allowed for a geographically independent ERA prioritization to be performed.

Development and validation of an international preoperative risk assessment model for postoperative delirium.

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a frequent complication in older adults, characterised by disturbances in attention, awareness and cognition, and associated with prolonged hospitalisation, poor functional recovery, cognitive decline, long-term dementia and increased mortality. Early identification of patients at risk of POD can considerably aid prevention. We have developed a preoperative POD risk prediction algorithm using data from eight studies identified during a systematic review and providing individual-level data. Ten-fold cross-validation was used for predictor selection and internal validation of the final penalised logistic regression model. The external validation used data from university hospitals in Switzerland and Germany. Development included 2,250 surgical (excluding cardiac and intracranial) patients 60years of age or older, 444 of whom developed POD. The final model included age, body mass index, American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score, history of delirium, cognitive impairment, medications, optional C-reactive protein (CRP), surgical risk and whether the operation is a laparotomy/thoracotomy. At internal validation, the algorithm had an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.77-0.82) with CRP and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.77-0.82) without CRP. The external validation consisted of 359 patients, 87 of whom developed POD. The external validation yielded an AUC of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.68-0.80). The algorithm is named PIPRA (Pre-Interventional Preventive Risk Assessment), has European conformity (ce) certification, is available at http://pipra.ch/ and is accepted for clinical use. It can be used to optimise patient care and prioritise interventions for vulnerable patients and presents an effective way to implement POD prevention strategies in clinical practice.

Analisis Risiko Investasi Saham Melalui Diversifikasi Portofolio secara Domestik dan Internasional

Along with the development of the era of globalisation and accelerating economic growth, investments can be made in various types of relatively high-risk investment instruments, such as stocks on both the national capital market and international capital markets. One investment option that promises high returns with high risk is stock investment. Therefore, the authors are interested in further discussing international investment risk assessment. The purpose of this study is to determine the risks of investing in stocks through domestic and international portfolio diversification. The research method used in this research is descriptive method. The analysis technique used is the analysis of literature studies
 Keywords: Stock Investment Risk, Portfolio Diversification, Domestic, International

Investigating the Regulatory Process, Safety, Efficacy and Product Transparency for Nutraceuticals in the USA, Europe and Australia.

Increased numbers of patients with chronic conditions use nutraceuticals or food-based therapeutics. However, to date, there is no global consensus on the regulatory processes for nutraceuticals. With the increased use, issues of quality and safety have also arisen. This review summarises the current regulations held for nutraceuticals in the USA, European and Australian jurisdictions using regulatory authority sites and databases. The efficacy and safety concerns, product development, gaps in regulation and challenges in ensuring product authenticity are also summarised. The data highlight the complexity that the globalisation of nutraceuticals brings with respect to challenges in regulation and associated claims regarding efficacy and safety. The development of an effective system with integrity is needed to increase vertical collaboration between consumers, healthcare practitioners, and government agencies and the development of international risk assessment criteria and botanical compendia. This will help in greater transparency and improved trust in the process and products. Emerging technologies could play a role in improving systems engineering by information sharing and leveraging the strengths of different countries. In conclusion, nutraceuticals have been poorly regulated leading to spurious claims based on little or no real evidence. This makes it difficult to separate meaningful results from poor data. More stringent regulation and an effective system of integrity are required to ensure efficacy and safety and enable the adequate monitoring and increase consumer and healthcare professionals' confidence.

Derivation of human health hazard assessment values of 1,2-dichloroethane under the Japan Chemical Substances Control Law

1,2-Dichloroethane, a priority assessment chemical substance under the Japan Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL), required a detailed human health hazard assessment under Assessment II. We evaluated its general, reproductive, and developmental toxicities, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity, based on the hazard information provided by domestic and international risk assessment organizations, and the hazard assessment values (HAVs) for oral and inhalation exposure were proposed. For oral exposure, a 78-week gavage carcinogenicity study (US NCI, 1978) with incidence data of hemangiosarcoma in male rats was selected as a significant toxicological endpoint and the lower confidence limit of benchmark dose (BMD) at 10% benchmark response (BMDL10) of 9.3 mg/kg/day was obtained as a point of departure (POD). A slope factor of 1.07 × 10−2 (mg/kg/day)−1 from which a carcinogenic 10−5 risk of 0.93 µg/kg/day was derived as an oral HAV. For inhalation exposure, a 104-week inhalation exposure carcinogenicity study (Nagano et al., 2006) with a BMDL10 of 11.5 ppm based on the incidence data of mammary gland tumors (adenocarcinoma + adenoma + fibroadenoma, combined) in female rats was obtained, and the human equivalent BMDL10 of 15.7 mg/m3 was calculated. Therefore, a unit risk of 6.40 × 10−6 (µg/m3)−1 from which a carcinogenic 10−5 risk of 1.6 µg/m3 (0.00039 ppm) was derived as an inhalation HAV.

Response of Anti-trafficking Organisations on the Impact of the La Strada International Risk Assessment and the Challenge of Maintaining Health of Professionals in Ukraine and Neighbouring Countries

This short practitioners' contribution offers a reflection by antitrafficking organisations in Ukraine and Moldova on the local impact of the rapid assessment of risks and gaps in the anti-trafficking response to prevent human trafficking of refugees from Ukraine (contribution by Hoff & De Volder in this issue) and on the challenge and importance of maintaining mental health of professionals in conflict-affected areas (contribution by Rullmann in this issue).

Integrating invasive species risk assessment into environmental DNA metabarcoding reference libraries.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has shown promise as a tool for estimating biodiversity and early detection of invasive species. In aquatic systems, advantages of this method include the ability to concurrently monitor biodiversity and detect incipient invasions simply through the collection and analysis of water samples. However, depending on the molecular markers chosen for a given study, reference libraries containing target sequences from present species may limit the usefulness of eDNA metabarcoding. To explore the extent of this issue and how it may be resolved to aid biodiversity and invasive species early detection goals, we focus on fishes in the well-studied Laurentian Great Lakes region. First, we provide a synthesis of species currently known from the region and of non-indigenous species identified as threats by international, national, regional, and introduction pathway-specific fish risk assessments. With these species lists, we then evaluate 23 primer pairs commonly used in fish eDNA metabarcoding with available databases of sequence coverage and species specificity. Finally, we identify established and potentially invasive non-indigenous fish that should be prioritized for genetic sequencing to ensure robust eDNA metabarcoding for the region. Our results should increase confidence in using eDNA metabarcoding for fisheries conservation and management in the Great Lakes region and help prioritize reference sequencing efforts. The ultimate utility of eDNA metabarcoding approaches will come when conservation management of existing fish communities is integrated with early detection efforts for invasive species surveillance to assess total fish biodiversity.

Assessment of information security risks for construction enterprises

Introduction. The instability of the global economy, caused by the macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, put forward new information security (IS) requirements applicable to enterprises operating in various industries. The result is a different vision of the problem of IS risk assessment. Systems of IS risk assessment used in international practice were analyzed; their weaknesses were identified in this article. These weaknesses were used by the author as the basis for choosing an approach to IS risk assessment. The approach chosen to assess the IS risk in accordance with the international FAIR standard was based on the factor analysis of the IS risk.
 Materials and methods. The author used the research techniques that belong to the group of analytical methods (analysis, classification, and comparative analysis). They allow developing an integrated solution in terms of the choice of an approach to the IS risk assessment for a construction enterprise in accordance with the FAIR international standard. The Russian IS risk assessment regulatory and legal framework, international IS risk assessment standards, as well as information taken from open-access Russian and foreign sources were used.
 Results. A consistent solution contributed to the choice of an approach to the IS risk assessment in accordance with the international FAIR standard and the formation of a set of factors needed for a factor analysis of IS risks typical for a construction enterprise. The proposed system of factors takes into account the practical experience, accumulated by IS enterprises operating in various industries and relevant theoretical developments presented in research papers.
 Conclusions. In the course of analyzing the problem in question, the author succeeded at choosing an approach to IS risk assessment at construction enterprises. This approach encompasses a qualitative and quantitative assessment of factors triggering IS risks in accordance with the international FAIR standard.

Residue status and risk assessment of neonicotinoids under real field conditions: Based on a two-year survey of cotton fields throughout China

There is considerable controversy regarding the harm caused by neonicotinoids to pollinators. Oilseed rape, corn and wild flowers, but not cotton, have been identified as important for toxicity risk of neonicotinoids to pollinators. To this end, 396 stamens and maternal flowers from major cotton areas across China were analyzed, 97.3% (2020) and 100% (2021) of samples contained at least one neonicotinoid pesticide. The probability of multiple residues was greater than that of a single neonicotinoid residue, and there was no significant difference between stamen and maternal flowers. The median total concentration of neonicotinoids ranged from 3.73 to 638 ng g −1 . Acetamiprid (detection rate ratio (DRR): 14.3%; concentration ratio (CR): 53.1%), dinotefuran (DRR: 23.3%; CR: 19.9%), and clothianidin (DRR: 21.1%; CR: 6.49%) were the most frequently detected neonicotinoids. Based on the Hazard Quotient (HQ) assessment, acetamiprid, clothianidin and dinotefuran (median HQ value > 1,000) reached the risk level; while the Risk Quotient (RQ) assessment indicated that they have not yet reached the degree of risk concern (median RQ value < 0.4). This research provides the first overview of neonicotinoid residues in cotton field, and supplements the data of cotton field planting for international risk assessment of neonicotinoids. • Neonicotinoid insecticides were detected in 98.6% of cotton flowers. • Multiple neonicotinoid residues have a higher detection rate than single residues. • The number of neonicotinoids detected mostly ranged from 3–5. • The risk of neonicotinoids to honeybees was assessed using HQ and RQ models. • Acetamiprid, clothianidin, and dinotefuran are the most common and potentially risky neonicotinoids.

Prospects for hygienic regulation of soils

Introduction. So far, the main regulatory document on the justification of hygiene standards for chemical pollution of the soil has not been revised. In accordance with the provisions of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of ensuring chemical and biological safety for the period up to 2025 and beyond 1, it is advisable to develop new approaches to assess the hazard of chemicals that pollute the soil, taking into account international standards and risk assessment for public health. The purpose of the study is to develop methodological approaches and recommendations in substantiating the hygienic standards of chemical pollution of the soil, taking into account modern legal requirements in the field of technical regulation and international standards. Materials and methods. Information and analytical methods for database FIPS (Federal Institute of Industrial Property), as well as data from scientific publications and our own research analytical data were used in the study. Results. According to our study, it was revealed that there is no software for assessment of the environment impact of chemicals on the soil, with the exception of assessment in emergency situations. In this regard, based on research, we have proposed a software layout to automatically assess the risk of exposure to chemicals through the soil, and to carry out mathematical modelling and build a predictive model for the impact of chemicals on soil and public health as part of their hygiene regulation. Limitations. The study was limited to the study of patents for software systems for computers that are designed to assess the impact of the activities of enterprises in the FGBU “FIPS” system, placed in open sources and aimed at solving problems related to ensuring the safety of citizens, calculating risk, taking into account relevant information on the actual state environmental objects. The data obtained in the work are of undoubted interest, including when working out the software layout. Conclusion. A methodology for a comprehensive risk assessment of the impact of chemicals on human health through the soil factor is proposed, which will be included in the draft guidelines for substantiating the hygienic standards of chemicals in the soil, taking into account the use of software for the automatic calculation of estimated indicators to substantiate the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of chemicals in the soil of populated areas in depending on various factors, including types of land use.

Hygienic regulation of various water types at the present stage

Introduction. In 2019-2020 as part of the implementation of the “regulatory guillotine” mechanism, there was revised or canceled a number of regulatory requirements including those related to the rationing of various types of water. The purpose of the work was to eliminate outdated requirements that do not meet modern conditions for ensuring sanitary and epidemiological well-being in the field of water use of the population. Materials and methods. The research materials in the field of hygienic regulation of waters were sanitary rules and norms for drinking, domestic and cultural water use, maximum allowable concentrations (MAC) and approximate permissible levels (APL) of chemicals in the water of water bodies for domestic drinking and cultural water use. Results. There were approved two interrelated documents including SanPiN 2.1.3684-21 and SanPiN 1.2.3685-21, in which the requirements for the main types of water are systematized. The revised and updated documents exclude provisions of a descriptive nature, methods and technologies for implementing mandatory requirements. A distinctive feature of the hygienic requirements for water was the use of the error value of the method for determining substances in assessing the compliance of pollution levels with hygienic standards. Hence, the requirement for metrological support of determination methods is mandatory. The standards included in SanPiN 1.2.3685-21 are harmonized considering international data, including WHO, and health risk assessment. On the base of these approaches in section III, concerning water hygiene standards, twenty one standard was harmonized by chemical factor, of which 7 were modified, 5 standards were added considering WHO recommendations, 8 - considering EU recommendations (hormones and antibiotics), 1 - considering recommendations of Uniform sanitary rules of EurAZEU, standards of 69 pesticide active ingredients that are listed in Section IX containing pesticide guidelines were excluded. In addition, the list of APLs includes standards for 9 new substances that were reviewed and approved by the Commission on State Sanitary and Epidemiological Regulation. Limitations. The limitations of the study are related to the fact that the changes and additions made to the sanitary and epidemiological requirements for various types of waters are not exhaustive and can be revised as the standards of new substances, data on the toxicity and danger of standardized compounds, modern water treatment technologies and expansion of water uses become available. Conclusion. The implementation of the principles of elimination of excessive regulation and harmonization of standards with international requirements made it possible to unify the system of hygienic standards for various types of water.

Analytical Chemistry of Impurities in Amino Acids Used as Nutrients: Recommendations for Regulatory Risk Management.

Proteinogenic amino acids are natural nutrients ingested daily from standard foods. Commercially manufactured amino acids are added to a wide range of nutritional products, including dietary supplements and regular foods. Currently, the regulatory risk management of amino acids is conducted by means of setting daily maximum limits of intake. However, there have been no reported adverse effects of amino acid overdosing, while impurities in low-quality amino acids have been identified as causative agents in several health hazard events. This paper reviews the analytical chemistry of impurities in amino acids and highlights major variations in the purity of commercial products. Furthermore, it examines the international standards and global regulatory risk assessment of amino acids utilized in dietary supplements and foods, recommending (1) further research on analytical methods that can comprehensively separate impurities in amino acids, and (2) re-focusing on the regulatory risk management of amino acids to the analytical chemistry of impurities.

A Study on Risk Measurement of Logistics in International Trade: A Case Study of the RCEP Countries

International trade can be severely disrupted by failures in international logistics processes. Therefore, an understanding of international logistics risk is imperative for the smooth operation of international trade, systematically studying the causes, responsible parties, and possible consequences of international logistics risk. On this basis, international logistics risk is classified from the perspective of the consequences caused by logistics risk, combined with the influencing factors and types of risk, establishing the index system and evaluation model of international logistics risk; Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods were used to evaluate international logistics risk, and the international logistics risk in the international trade of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is also discussed. The results show that generally, international logistics risks are mainly logistics loss risk, logistics cost risk, and logistics timeliness risk. The logistics risks in the transaction with RCEP mainly include logistics loss risk, logistics cost risk, logistics timeliness risk, environmental risk, and logistics information risk. The risk causes include five risks: general causes, accidents, bankruptcy or ultra vires of logistics companies, customs clearance problems, and cargo characteristics. By establishing the international logistics risk measurement index system, it can hopefully play a preventive and guiding role in the research of international logistics risk assessment and the international logistics risk management of RCEP enterprises.

Cardiovascular Risks and Risk Stratification in Inflammatory Joint Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundIt is well established that patients with inflammatory joint diseases (IJD) have an increased cardiovascular (CV) mortality and morbidity. According to the 2016 EULAR recommendations on CV risk management, rheumatologists should ensure appropriate management of CV risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other IJDs. The aim was to assess the CV risk and CV disease in Middle-European patients with IJD.MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed for CV risk factors and CV disease in outpatients of a rheumatology outpatient clinic. CV risk was assessed according to the 2016 European Guidelines on CV disease prevention and also using 2 other approaches to compare the results with data from Norwegian and Spanish cohorts.ResultsOut of 432 patients, the prevalence of CV disease reached from 8.7% in spondyloarthritis (SpA) and 12.8% in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) to 18.7% in patients with RA. The number of CV risk factors did not differ between patients with RA, SpA, PsA, and non-inflammatory rheumatic disease (NIRD) (with 1.68 ± 0.13, 1.70 ± 0.13, 2.04 ± 0.16, and 1.78 ± 0.34, respectively). CV risk assessment could be performed in 82 patients after exclusion because of missing data and age. Stratification according to ESC guidelines showed low in 50%, moderate in 12.2%, high in 20.7%, and very high CV risk in 17.1% of patients aged between 40 and 65 years. CV risk in the Middle-European patients with IJD was higher than in the German general population (p = 0.004), and similar to the Norwegian patients with IJD, although patients with Middle-European PsA were at higher risk than the Norwegian patients (p = 0.045). Compared to the Spanish patients, Middle-European patients with IJD were more likely assigned to the high- to a very high-risk group (34.2 vs. 16.2%, p < 0.001), especially in RA disease (49.1 vs. 21%, respectively, p < 0.001).DiscussionHigh prevalence of established CV disease together with high CV risk in patients with IJD urges for increased vigilance for CV risk factors followed by appropriate interaction by the treating physicians. The prospective use of an international CV risk assessment tool will allow not only estimation of the individual CV risk but also provide data for direct comparisons with the general population and other international cohorts.

Chemical risk governance: Exploring stakeholder participation in Canada, the USA, and the EU.

Hazardous chemicals are one of the greatest environmental challenges facing our planet, testing governments in the face of economic and social development. Chemical risks are often complex systemic risks, which require particular governance processes, stakeholder participation mechanisms, and communication procedures to manage. In this article we explore how such processes, mechanisms, and procedures could offer more effective pathways for international chemical risk assessment and management. Combining document analysis with 69 key informant interviews and four focus groups with experts from across government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and industry in Canada, the USA and Europe (n = 24), the results highlight the importance of increasing stakeholder participation and risk communication in existing chemical risk assessment and management frameworks. Similarities and differences between the three jurisdictions are discussed with a view to inform future risk governance strategies. The contemporary insights are of relevance to decision-makers seeking to improve the effectiveness of chemical risk governance in practice.

Estimation of Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for Immunological Effects of Aflatoxin.

Aflatoxins are toxic chemicals produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. In warm climates, these fungi frequently contaminate crops such as maize, peanuts, tree nuts, and sunflower seeds. In many tropical and subtropical regions of the world, populations are coexposed to dietary aflatoxin and multiple infectious pathogens in food, water, and the environment. There is increasing evidence that aflatoxin compromises the immune system, which could increase infectious disease risk in vulnerable populations. Our aim was to conduct a dose-response assessment on a noncarcinogenic endpoint of aflatoxin: immunotoxicological effects. We sought to determine a noncarcinogenic tolerable daily intake (TDI) of aflatoxin, based on the existing data surrounding aflatoxin and biomarkers of immune suppression. To conduct the dose response assessment, mammalian studies were assessed for appropriateness of doses (relevant to potential human exposures) as well as goodness of data, and two appropriate mouse studies that examined decreases in leukocyte counts were selected to generate dose response curves. From these, we determined benchmark dose lower confidence limits (BMDL) as points of departure to estimate a range of TDIs for aflatoxin-related immune impairment: 0.017-0.082 μg/kg bw/day. As aflatoxin is a genotoxic carcinogen, and regulations concerning its presence in food have largely focused on its carcinogenic effects, international risk assessment bodies such as the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) have never established a TDI for aflatoxin. Our work highlights the importance of the noncarcinogenic effects of aflatoxin that may have broader public health impacts, to inform regulatory standard-setting.

EU Including: Development of Radiological and Nuclear Training Learning Objectives

Worldwide, about 20 million consignments of radioactive material are transported annually on public roads, railways, aircraft, and ships. About 95% of radioactive consignments are not related to nuclear power. In 2016, a total of 143 incidents of nuclear or other radioactive materials were found to be outside of regulatory control, which occurred in 19 countries. On an international level risk assessment has to account for the potential threats due to millions of radioactive sources in use worldwide and hundreds of tons of military grade U/Pu not under IAEA safeguards. The European Union (EU) has tasked the INCLUDING project consortium, connecting 15 partners from 10 EU Member States, to address this issue and create an innovative cluster for radiological and nuclear (RN) emergencies. The project is coordinated by the Italian Agency for the New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). INCLUDING will provide comprehensive training in the RN security sector. Thereby, know-how is enhanced for practitioners in this sector. An important part in this endeavor is the development of radiological- and nuclear training learning objectives. INCLUDING partners involved in this task (Work Package 4) represent companies, organisations and government agencies from Austria, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary and Portugal. The task has four main objectives: 1) Harmonisation of RN education/training for EU first responders: 2) Identification of main problems in setting norms; 3) Developing a training matrix using revised Bloom’s taxonomy; 4) Use of the methodology developed for Joint Actions and its application at INCLUDING Cluster Facilities in different EU Member States. The INCLUDING Work Package 4 members have analyzed the EU EDEN Training Matrix and identified gaps in accordance with NATO CBRN training standards related to civil-military cooperation. Furthermore, they analyzed 5 EUHORIZON 2020- and 9 EUFP7-SECURITY projects, and 97 RN training courses offered to the international community by NATO, 6 EU organisations, Qatar, US military- and civilian organisations, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This paper will present these results, which are being used to develop the basic structure for the Learning Objective Catalogue (LOC), comprised of multiple RN-related Learning Objectives for different threat scenarios.

The ‘Rights’ Way to Democratize the Science–Policy Interface in International Environmental Law? A Reply to Anna-Maria Hubert

Abstract Science is widely regarded as being necessary for effective international environmental decision-making and risk assessment processes. However, it is equally well recognized that uncertainties or the complexity of phenomena under study mean that science may only offer partial knowledge for environmental problems in many circumstances. ‘Democratization’ of science is often proposed as a solution to this dilemma. This may involve incorporating a wider spectrum of expert views and public inputs in risk assessments of new technologies, public participation in science through so-called ‘citizen science’ initiatives or the application of the precautionary principle. This reply reviews these approaches and contrasts them with another tantalizing possibility offered by Anna-Maria Hubert’s article; a human rights-based approach drawing on the ‘oft-neglected’ right to science. It assesses the extent to which a rights-based approach, utilizing the right to science, offers a way to bridge the gap between science and democracy in contested international environmental legal decision-making processes. While it concludes that there are important potential benefits to the application of the right to science in international environmental law, it is far from clear that it provides a panacea given the limitations on the right expressed in the international human rights instruments in which it is found, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Instead, the right to science can be seen as placing another thumb on the scales – alongside the precautionary and participatory approaches – in favour of enabling broader, more democratically accountable decision-making in cases of uncertain science and contested environmental risks.