Ex ante regulation in an era of fast-paced innovation - connecting the time and locus of regulation

The connection between the timing and the locus of a regulatory intervention should excite considerable interest in the study of ex ante regulation. To illustrate this argument,
we draw on the example of the precautionary principle. It emerges that timing is important when legislation is being drafted. However, time is not the only relevant variable in decision-making. When it is ripe for application, both temporal and locus-of-regulation considerations matter. For instance, a question that policymakers should address is when it is
the right time to regulate new or emerging technologies and at which governance level. Addressing such questions would allow them to strike a balance between facilitating
the development of new technologies and addressing the legitimate concerns of their citizens.