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The Precautionary Principle in EC Health and Environmental Law
Author(s) -
Sadeleer Nicolas de
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
european law journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.351
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1468-0386
pISSN - 1351-5993
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0386.2006.00313.x
Subject(s) - precautionary principle , milestone , tribunal , realm , action (physics) , uncertainty , economic justice , european court of justice , law and economics , political science , law , business , european union law , economics , european union , international trade , geography , ecology , statistics , physics , mathematics , archaeology , quantum mechanics , biology
Envisaging anticipatory preventive action in response to uncertainty, the precautionary principle represents an important milestone in risk reduction. The question is no longer merely how to prevent assessable risks, but rather how to anticipate risks pervaded by uncertainty. By leaving behind the realm of ‘sound science’, precaution necessarily gives rise to conflict. As regards the status and the implementation of that principle, the aim of this article is to explore some of the key issues arising in environmental and food safety cases brought before the Tribunal of First Instance, the European Court of Justice and the EFTA Court.