Taking the Precautionary Principle Seriously

The problem context. The precautionary principle (PP) has been proposed as a guide for public policy in areas where there may be extraordinary risk, uncertainty, and gross ignorance about future consequences. Of course, we already have theory and methods for risk assessment and risk management, but the whole PP movement is founded on the claim that something more, something stronger than ordinary risk management (ORM), is needed. The PP is fundamentally a claim that, when making multi-dimensional public decisions, acting to avoid and/or mitigate potential harmful consequences should be accorded high priority. It has been invoked in contexts such as medical, pharmaceutical, ecological, and environmental risk; and is a source of controversy in trade and economic development. There are many definitions of the PP in the literature (Clooney 2004). Definitions fall into three main categories, on a weaker-stronger scale: • Uncertainty about harmful consequences does not justify failure to take precautionary action (Bergen Declaration 1990) • Plausible but uncertain harm justifies precautionary intervention (UNESCO 2005) • Uncertain harm requires intervention, and the burden of proof is shifted to the proponent of the proposed risky action (Wingspread Statement) Governments and international organizations have adopted various versions of the PP. I