The trade conflicts that the EU has faced within the EU or WTO context demonstrate that the question of how to balance trade and other societal values in situations of uncertainty has not been solved by the regulatory model evolved by the EU in the aftermath of the BSE crisis - one which privileges processes of depoliticisation and scientification. This book addresses the current key dilemmas around science, law and the regulation of trade, both on a regime level and in the context of particular industrial sectors, e.g pharmaceuticals, climate change and nanotechnology. It will present possible future research avenues by looking at both theory and practice and learning from various disciplines (law and social sciences), legal realities (WTO, USA and EU) and actors (regulators, stakeholders, courts).

Marjolein B.A van Asselt is Risk Governance chair, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University, and member of the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR), The Hague.

Michelle Everson is Professor of European Law at Birkbeck.

Ellen Vos is Professor of European Union Law at the Law Faculty of Maastricht University. She is fellow at the Institute for Globalisation and International Regulation (IGIR) of Maastricht University.

Introduction 1. Historical and theoretical perspectives 2. Trade controversies 3. Trade controversies Conclusion