CAN THE SCIENTIFIC WADDEN SEA SYMPOSIA BE MORE INFLUENTIAL

At the seventh Scientific Wadden Sea Symposium (Ameland, 1990) it was asked if and how policy is influenced by the recommendations of the sc ientific symposia. We carried out a study on this subject. In this stu dy we surveyed the literature about science-and-policy to find out wha t can be expected to be a result of scientific advice in general. Seco ndly we compared the Wadden Sea policy, both on the national and on th e trilateral level, with the recommendations of the symposia. In addit ion we looked at the 'influence-lines' in the Wadden Sea science-and-p olicy network. We asked a small group of participants of this network about the impact of the symposia so far and about their expectations f or the future. In this paper we present the results of the project. We will give some recommendations to improve the relations between the s ymposia and the several levels of Wadden Sea policy and management.