Annex 2
EUROPEAN RESOLUTION ON THE PRECAUTIONARY
PRINCIPLE (PARAGRAPH 5)
In summary, the Resolution on the precautionary
principle, which was endorsed by Heads of Government at a General
Affairs Council at Nice in December 2000, provides that:
— use should be made of the precautionary
principle where the possibility of harmful effects on health or
the environment has been identified and preliminary scientific
evaluation proves inconclusive for assessing the level of risk;
— the scientific assessment of the
risk must proceed logically in an effort to achieve hazard identification,
hazard characterisation, appraisal of exposure and risk characterisation;
— risk management measures must be
taken by the public authorities responsible on the basis of a
political appraisal of the desired level of protection;
— all stages must be conducted in a
transparent manner, civil society must be involved and special
attention must be paid to consulting all interested parties as
early as possible;
— measures must observe the principle
of proportionality, taking account of short-term and long-term
risks; must not be applied in a way resulting in arbitrary or
unwarranted discrimination; and should be consistent with measures
already adopted in similar circumstances or following similar
approaches;
— measures adopted presuppose examination
of the benefits and costs of action and inaction, and the examination
must take account of social and environmental costs and of the
public acceptability of the different options possible; and
— decisions taken in accordance with
the precautionary principle should be reviewed in the light of
developments in scientific knowledge.
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