precautionary principle

precautionary principle, approach in policy making that legitimizes the adoption of preventative measures to address potential risks to the public or environment associated with certain activities or policies.

The concept of the precautionary principle emerged in the 1970s–80s in German environmental law, where it was known by the term Vorsorgeprinzip. In 1987 it was incorporated into international law at the International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea. Since then it has permeated most international environmental conventions. For example, entrenched by the 1992 Rio Declaration (Principle 15), it was written into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and, retroactively, into the Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. It was integrated into the criteria for the listing of endangered species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in 1994, and the following year it was adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The precautionary principle also is a cornerstone of European Union (EU) environmental law and has been central in determining the EU’s position toward genetically modified organisms. The EU has also advocated its extension to other areas, such as food and health issues.

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environmental law: The precautionary principle

There has been debate, however, as to whether the precautionary principle should be considered a principle of international environmental law or merely an approach, a guide to policy making. The precautionary principle has been criticized for promoting a risk-averse approach to policy making and resource management in contexts where risk is part of decision making and the problem of scientific uncertainty is especially acute. In natural resource management, the course of management often is decided upon despite persisting uncertainty; in such cases, the precautionary approach risks paralyzing management altogether.