Risk regulation: legal requirements, conceptual foundations and practical experiences in Italy : case study of the Italian energy sector

Abstract

Risk evaluation is a subject to intricate social constructs. It is a multi-dimensional phenomenon which affects all areas of choice. There is still a great deal to learn about risk such as: (1.) those social objectives, values and motivations which make us fear certain risks as opposed to others; (2.) understand the way people (especially decisionmakers) analyze risk as well as the cognitive and logical patterns they use to set acceptability standards; and (3.) identify cognitive and motivational biases which guide risk choices. Granted, risk policy and decision-making cannot wait until science provides a response to all unanswered questions; on the contrary, consent is necessary to act upon those risks which remain uncertain. Decision-making issues need to be defined as a means to decide whether a decision is necessary and, if so, which alternatives need to be considered.