Question

Which answer is a reasonable paraphrase of the Precautionary Principle applied to atrazine by many European nations?

	If there is potential harm, better safe than sorry, limit exposure
	Innocent until proven guilty
	Suspend enforcement of environmental law, if it is inconvenient
	Cast concern to the wind, then go for it

Answer 1

Basics

• The concept of precaution is of great relevance in environmental regulation in many countries.
• A significant part of the literature on the subject highlights the need for regulatory frameworks for the operational implementation of the precautionary principle in public decision-making
• Appropriate concepts and management procedures for environmental risks should be clarified.
• It is therefore important to know the most relevant economic approaches and models for the debate on precaution and to discuss their practical relevance for public decision.

This interpret the precautionary principle and its main virtues and limitations in the context of environmental risk management.

The precautionary principle

which is fundamental principle of environmental regulation in many countries.

Main issues when putting precaution into practice as follows.

• The duty to take advance action to protect the environment and public health when dealing with suspected risks (uncertain), especially if they are potentially serious or irreversible;
• The demand for more and better scientific information for the assessment of hazards and risks;
• The consideration of a broad set of options for action;
• As complete an analysis and assessment as possible of the costs and benefits of policy alternatives, including the analysis of their distribution among the different actors;
• The continuous monitoring and review of the precautionary measures adopted in light of the development of information and scientific knowledge.

The precautionary principle has gained relevance in recent decades with the emergence of the 'new risks' of technology and the environment, which are generally characterised by limited and uncertain scientific knowledge, a collective and involuntary nature, and the low probability of potentially or even irreversible high damage.

• This applies for example to climate change, biodiversity loss, radiological exposure, the effects of chemicals, food safety, biotechnology and nanotechnology.
• Precautionary situations are generally risk scenarios in which the causal chain that goes from the hazard to the final effects is in some way uncertain because the causal relation can neither be established nor rejected.
• the principle has still not been clearly or practically formulated and continues to be insufficient as a guideline for the design of regulatory policies.
• Many controversies have arisen about the level of environmental risk required to trigger the principle,
• the role of economic and social consequences and the severity of precautionary measures, particularly in situations where it is thought economic activity might be prejudiced.

so, individual aspirations of people affected by the risks (experts, lay persons, etc.) and collective forms of deliberation and justification which govern social situations of risk emergence could throw light on a reasonable decision which reconciles collective responsibility and respect for the plurality of aspirations of individuals within a society in the context of new risk governance strategies.

• Public authorities must intervene to establish socially acceptable levels of risk for a given hazard, based on procedures for technical and scientific research and on public debates.