Precautionary principle
| Administrative State |
|---|
| Read more about the administrative state on Ballotpedia. |
The precautionary principle is an approach to environmental and health policy which says that preventive policy measures should be taken in cases where an activity or product may, in the view of some analysts, endanger human health or the environment, even if the risk has not been conclusively established. The principle holds that the proponent of a new activity or product has the burden of proof to demonstrate that the product or activity is safe.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Background
According to New World Encyclopedia, the concept known as the precautionary principle originated in German legal philosophy and environmental law:[2]
| “ | The origins of the formal concept have been attributed to the German socio-legal tradition in the 1930s, centering on the concept of good household management and known in German as Vorsorgeprinzip, which translates into English as precaution principle. ... This Vorsorgeprinzip was tied to the German Air Pollution legislation of the 1970s, but also part of a range of decision-making processes. ... the first international endorsement of the precautionary principle was by the World Charter for Nature, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982. The principle was implemented in an international treaty as early as the 1987 Montreal Protocol.[8] | ” |
| —New World Encyclopedia, "Precautionary principle"[2] | ||
As of October 2017, the precautionary principle had not been formally incorporated into United States law or policy. The European Union and some of its member states have made the precautionary principle a statutory requirement.[2][6]
Formulations of the precautionary principle
Rio Declaration
One version of the precautionary principle was published in the "Rio Declaration on Environment and Development," issued by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development following a 1992 conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Principle 15 of that declaration stated:[2][6]
| “ | In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.[8] | ” |
| —"Rio Declaration on Environment and Development" (1992)[2][6] | ||
Wingspread Statement
According to the Science & Environmental Health Network, a 1998 conference of "scientists, philosophers, lawyers and environmental activists" held by the Johnson Foundation at Wingspread in Wisconsin produced the following formulation of the precautionary principle:[4]
| “ | When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof.[8] | ” |
| —"Wingspread Consensus Statement on the Precautionary Principle" (1998)[4] | ||
European Union
In a document issued on February 2, 2000, the European Commission (the executive cabinet of the European Union) included the following version of the precautionary principle:[2][6]
| “ | The precautionary principle applies where scientific evidence is insufficient, inconclusive or uncertain and preliminary scientific evaluation indicates that there are reasonable grounds for concern that the potentially dangerous effects on the environment, human, animal or plant health may be inconsistent with the high level of protection chosen by the EU.[8] | ” |
| —European Union, "European Commission Communication on the Precautionary Principle" (2000)[2][6] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Dictionary.com, "Precautionary principle," accessed October 9, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 New World Encyclopedia, "Precautionary principle," accessed October 9, 2017
- ↑ Science & Environmental Health Network, "Precautionary Principle, Understanding Science in Regulation," accessed October 10, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Science & Environmental Health Network, "Wingspread Conference on the Precautionary Principle," January 26, 1998
- ↑ Science & Environmental Health Network, "About Us," accessed October 11, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Environmental Justice Organisations, Liabilities and Trade, "Precautionary principle," accessed October 10, 2017
- ↑ Environmental Justice Organisations, Liabilities and Trade, "Project," accessed October 10, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| |||||||||||