{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,2]],"date-time":"2025-08-02T18:04:08Z","timestamp":1754157848785,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2005,6,1]],"date-time":"2005-06-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1117584000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2005,6,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>This paper analyses the justification of technological choices and options in the context of nuclear energy policy. We argue that \u201csociety\u201d increasingly demands a justification with regard to the level of uncertainty and inequality a certain technological choice induces. We aim to demonstrate that policy makers in fact do address these issues, but depending on how they define the problem, this is done in a more explicit (overt) or implicit (covert) way.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>First, the changing context with regard to the justification of technological choices is briefly sketched. We draw the attention to the link between the way a certain (energy) policy problem is defined, and the way the framework for political decision\u2010making is set up in response to the problem. In order to clarify this observation, we make use of a scheme derived from policy sciences, mapping out policy problems in two dimensions: the (lack of) certainty concerning the kinds of knowledge a problem may require, and the (lack of) consensus on relevant values (i.e. \u201cthe common good\u201d, \u201cbasic rights\u201d, etc.). Each type of policy problem requires a distinct solution strategy. A so\u2010called Type III\u2010error occurs when the wrong problem is solved by employing a strategy which does not apply to the problem at hand. In that case, political theory predicts strategic behavior in order to actively suppress or blur value differences. The Belgian decision to phase out nuclear power is used as a case study to illustrate some of the theoretical implications of the scheme.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>Several Type III\u2010errors could be demonstrated in the case of the Belgian phase out. In this case, social learning was severely hampered by different methodological approaches; lack of data; different perceptions of relevant time scales; different framing of the problem; institutional barriers; lack of communication; strategic use of scientific assessments by different stakeholders; and insufficient knowledge of scientific assessments.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper aims to broaden the debate on energy policy outside the boundaries of institutional decision\u2010making. We conclude with some practical recommendations for future energy policy, regarding problem structuring, defining possible options, goal and strategy formulation and monitoring of choices.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/17410390510592021","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2005,5,23]],"date-time":"2005-05-23T21:17:38Z","timestamp":1116883058000},"page":"357-376","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Addressing uncertainty and inequality in nuclear policy"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"E.","family":"Laes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"W.","family":"D'haeseleer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"R.","family":"Weiler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b1","unstructured":"AMPERE Commission (2000), Rapport van de Commissie voor de Analyse van de Productiemiddelen voor Elektriciteit en de Reori\u00ebntatie van de Energievectoren (AMPERE) aan de Staatssecretaris voor Energie en Duurzame Ontwikkeling, available at: http:\/\/mineco.fgov.be\/ampere.htm."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bataille, Ch. and Birraux, C. (2003), Rapport sur la dur\u00e9e de vie des centrales nucl\u00e9aires et les nouveaux types de r\u00e9acteurs, Office Parlementaire d'Evaluation des Choix Scientifiques et Technologiques, Paris.","DOI":"10.1051\/rgn\/20033034"},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b3","unstructured":"Bourdeau, P., Laponche, B., Morrison, R., Mortensen, J. and Savelli, P. (2001), Assessment of the AMPERE Commission report by an international peer review group, available at: http:\/\/mineco.fgov.be\/ampere.htm."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b4","unstructured":"D'haeseleer, W. (2003), \u201cFuture electricity generation in Belgium, the nuclear phase out and its GHG consequences\u201d, Physicalia Magazine, pp. 63\u201075, Nr. 25."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b5","unstructured":"Government policy statement (1999), De brug naar de eenentwintigste eeuw \u2013 ontwerp van regeerakkoord, (\u201cThe bridge to the twenty\u2010first century \u2013 a draft coalition agreement,\u201d our translation), 7 July."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b6","unstructured":"Grin, J. (1997), \u201cInteractieve Technology Assessment \u2013 Een eerste gids voor wie het wagen wil\u201d, Rathenau Instituut, Den Haag."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hashemian, H. (2002), \u201cOptimized maintenance and management of ageing of critical equipment in nuclear power plants\u201d, in Ruan, D. and Fantoni, P.F. (Eds), Power Plant Surveillance and Diagnostics \u2013 Applied Research with Artificial Intelligence, Springer, New York, NY, pp. 41\u20109.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-662-04945-7_3"},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b8","unstructured":"Hisschem\u00f6ller, M. (1993), \u201cDe democratie van problemen \u2013 De relatie tussen de inhoud van beleidsproblemen en methoden van politieke besluitvorming\u201d, VU Uitgeverij, Amsterdam."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b9","unstructured":"Interdepartementale Commissie Duurzame Ontwikkeling (ICDO) (2000), Federaal plan inzake duurzame ontwikkeling 2000\u20102004, ICDO, Brussel."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b10","unstructured":"Kl\u00fcver, L., Nentwich, M., Peissl, W., Torgersen, H., Gloede, F., Hennen, L., van Eijndhoven, J., van Est, R., Joss, S., Bellucci, S. and B\u00fctschi, D. (2000), \u201cEUROPTA (European Participatory Technology Assessment) \u2013 Participatory Methods in Technology Assessment and Technology Decision Making\u201d, Danish Board of Technology, Copenhagen."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b11","unstructured":"Laes, E. and Meskens, G. (2002), Sustainable Development and Nuclear Energy \u2013 Analysis of Interviews with Members of the Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development, Contract Report R\u20103682, SCK\u2010CEN, Mol."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b12","unstructured":"Michiels, J. (2003), \u201cDe wet van 31 januari 2003 houdende de geleidelijke uitstap uit de kernenergie voor industri\u00eble elektriciteitsproductie\u201d, Milieu\u2010 en Energierecht, Nr. 2, pp. 86\u2010100."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b13","unstructured":"United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (1992), Agenda 21 the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Statement of Forest Principles, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development."},{"key":"key2022012819471779400_b14","unstructured":"United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (1997), Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change."}],"container-title":["Journal of Enterprise Information Management"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emeraldinsight.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1108\/17410390510592021","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/17410390510592021\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/17410390510592021\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T00:18:57Z","timestamp":1753402737000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/jeim\/article\/18\/3\/357-376\/205833"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2005,6,1]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2005,6,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/17410390510592021"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/17410390510592021","relation":{},"ISSN":["1741-0398"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"1741-0398"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2005,6,1]]}}}