Negotiation and compromise

Two major evolutions have recently impacted the management of these hazardous activities: the increase in the scope of “stakeholders”, and the calling into question of the notion of acceptability of risks, which introduce perturbations in our current responses to the question of “living together” with hazardous activities.

publications of the research teams

You will find here the work that has been published in the Foncsi's series “Cahiers” or “Regards”, but also some academic publications in journals and conferences. All these references are in English; for publications in French, please refer to the French section of our website.

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OBJECTIVES

Industrial safety is subjected to processes of negotiation and compromise which don't only take place in institutional contexts (for example, CLIC meetings during the PPRT set up). In fact, more informal negotiations and tacit agreements exist elsewhere, in different contexts, external to the regulatory framework (neighbourhood meetings, friendly exchanges…).

The objective of this research program is to open the “black box” of negotiation and arbitration processes that already exist regarding industrial risks in order to investigate new risks management modalities, new governance modes. It is a major social concern to determine which might be the new terms of agreements and new procedures for obtaining agreements between all stakeholders concerning high-risk industrial activities.

program

The FonCSI funds projects from all scientific disciplines which can bring varied points of view on this theme. The aim is, based on the analysis of existing practice, on innovative existing procedures and taking into account evolutions in society in order to provide replies to questions such as: how can high-risk activities lead to agreements (be they explicit or tacit) which involve all stakeholders? What types of agreement, which context, which content leads to agreements which can stand the test of time? In what ways might these agreements lead to a new approach to the management of hazardous industrial activities? What is the impact of these agreements on crisis management?

RESEARCH linked to stakeholder concerns

This research program is closely linked with the Icsi working group (GEc) « Social contract (Vers un contrat social négocié) » where all stakeholders of industrial safety are represented (Industrial operators, local government, trade unions and non-governmental organizations like residents associations, researchers). This group aims at debating the prerequisites for the establishment of a lasting agreement to live together with industrial risky activities. This group produced a Cahier de la sécurité industrielle, « Industries à risques technologiques, un enjeu de société à négocier ? » with ten questions summarizing its expectations. Meetings between the group members and research teams of this program are organized once or twice a year in order to maintain the link between field and actors reality and research.

PROJECTS

This international and multidisciplinary research program involves nine projects:

Project #AO2011-01: “The French PPRT legislation: from formal consultation processes to new practices of resilience “, Antoine Le Blanc & Research Group Irénée Zwarterook, TVESULCO, Dunkerque, France.
Project#AO2011-02: “Considering local compromises that are made in unofficial debating arenas for a better management of industrial chronic risks. The case of the industrial park of Fos-sur-Mer, France.” CESSA, Marseille, France.
Project #AO2011-03: “Municipal and industrial risks between conflict and compromise. A comparative analysis of the sites of Pont-de-Claix and Saint-Fons”, Gwenola Le Naour, IEP Lyon, France.
Project #AO2012-01: “Negotiating safety: The reliability of organisations according to negotiatory activities ”, Benoît Journé, Université de Nantes, France
Project # AO2012-02: “Technological risk activities and societal challenges: reflections on the legal framework of the corporate social responsibility”, Philippe Billet, Environmental Law Institute, Lyon, France.
Project #AO2012-03: “Power and industrial risks: towards new arbitrations?”, Marie- Gabrielle Suraud, CERTOP, Toulouse, France.
Project#AO2012-04: “Mixed modes of governance as a means of risk management in complex systems: an empirical study using computer simulation”, Johannes Weyer, TU Dortmund, Germany.
Project AO2012-05: “Risk prevention and responsibility sharing in technological investments: an experimental economic analysis of contracting and regulation.” Giuseppe Attanasi, LERNA, Toulouse, France.
Project #AO2012-06: “Developing a Durable Framework for Enabling Safe and Sustained Conduct of Hazardous Energy Activities”, Preben Lindoe, University of Stavanger, Norway & Michael Baram, Boston University Law School, Boston MA, USA.