The Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) panel is a committee of members of the European Parliament devoted to all issues related to technology assessment and science assessment.
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STOA is an official organ of the European Parliament, responsible for technology assessment. Its work is carried out in partnership with external experts, these can be research institutes, universities, laboratories, consultancies or individual researchers contracted to help prepare specific projects. STOA increasingly focuses upon round-table expert discussions, conferences and workshops with associated or consequent studies. Members of Parliament and invited experts from EU institutions, international institutions, universities, specialist institutes, academies and other sources of expertise worldwide can jointly participate in the analysis of current issues at these events.
The European Parliament defines its position on these issues through reports prepared by its Committees. If Committees decide that it would be helpful to their policy making role to seek out expert, independent assessments of the various scientific or technological options in the policy sectors concerned, then they have STOA at their disposal: the Parliament's own Scientific and Technological Options Assessment unit.
The STOA Bureau runs the activities of STOA and prepares the Panel meetings. The STOA Panel is politically responsible for STOA's work. It is composed of MEPs nominated by Parliament's Committees. The STOA Panel in turn elects two members of the Bureau, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, and the third member is the Vice-President of the European Parliament responsible for STOA, Dr Silvana Koch-Mehrin.[1] The Panel draws up an annual workplan, after receiving proposals from the various Committees. Projects must have a clear scientific and/or technological impact. Currently, the Chairman is Dr. Paul Rübig[2] of Austria.
STOA is member of the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment (EPTA) network.
STOA receives advice from the European Technology Assessment Group (ETAG) since 2005.
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