The Role of the Precautionary Principle in EU Risk Regulation

Table of Contents

Bibliography

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

I... The Precautionary Principle

A. Approaching the PP’s Meanings
1. The Rio Declaration
2. The Communication from the Commission on the PP
3. Synthesis of Common Elements
a) Scope
b) Goal
c) Trigger Conditions
d) Measures
e) Legal Status

B. Debates
1. The PP Stifles Innovation and is thus Bad for Economy and Social Welfare
2. The PP Ignores Cost-benefit Ratios and Neglects Risk-risk Trade-offs
a) Pre-defined Protection Level versus Traditional Cost-benefit Analysis
b) Single-policy and Cross-policy Issues
3. The PP Ignores Sound Science and Invites Biased, Suboptimal Decisions
a) Sound Science versus the Perils of Public Risk Perception
b) Sound Science versus a Clash of Interests
c) The EU’s Perspective on the Role of Science

II.. EU Risk Regulation and the Role of the PP

A. Origins

B. Better Regulation and Structural Changes

C. Recent Applications of the PP in EU Policymaking: Case Studies
1. Choice of Cases and Applied Method
2. Case Study I: Neonicotinoids and Dying Honey Bees
a) Is there a Pre-defined Protection Level?
b) How and by Whom Has the PP Been Triggered?
c) Do Adopted Measures Meet the Criteria Stated in the COM(2000) 1?
d) Did Allegations as those Introduced in the Section about Debates Arise?
3. Case Study II: Bisphenol A (BPA)
a) Is there a Pre-defined Protection Level?
b) How and by Whom Has the PP Been Triggered?
c) Do Adopted Measures Meet the Criteria Stated in the COM(2000) 1?
d) Did Allegations as those Introduced in the Section about Debates Arise?
4. Case Study III: Antimicrobial Resistance
a) Is there a Pre-defined Protection Level?
b) How and by Whom Has the PP Been Triggered?
c) Do Adopted Measures Meet the Criteria Stated in the COM(2000) 1?
d) Did Allegations as those Introduced in the Section about Debates Arise?

III Discussion and Recommendations

A. The Debates (Will) Go On

B. Recommendations
1. The Commission Would Do Well to Become More Authentic
2. Improving Transparency Would Bring Many Benefits
3. Risk Communication Should not be Seen as Separate Risk Analysis Stage
4. Restore Lost Trust in Science
5. Learn From Others and From the Past

IV Summary and Conclusions

Abstract

Resume

Statement

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