Risk regulation in Europe: assessing the application of the precautionary principle

The publication aims to familiarize students of public policy with the precautionary principle, which plays a vital role in the European Union’s approach toward regulating risks. The precautionary principle contends that policy makers should refrain from actions having a suspected risk of causing harm to the public. Although the provisions of the precautionary principle are reflected bymany European policies, there are equally instances where actions are taken in spite of persisting scientific uncertainty. The question thus arises under which conditions the application of the precautionary principle is hampered. The book addresses this question on the basis of three in-depth analyses. The first two cases illustrate regulatory situations, in which food products were preventatively banned from the European market, namely US beef produced with growth hormones and the natural sweetener Stevia. The third case study is about the legalization of the commercial cultivation of genetically modified crops inspite of scientific uncertainty about their overall impact on human health and the ecosystem. These case studies show that it is not the availability of scientific evidence that predominantly determines the application of the precautionary principles but the power of economic interests in the multi-level system of the European Union. The book concentrates on the relevance of scientificevidence for policy making and interest group politics, making the book of interest to both academics and policymakers concerned with regulation. INDICE: Introduction.- The precautionary principle.- Case Study 1: Ban of imports of hormone-treated beef.- Case Study 2: Ban of the natural sweetener Stevia.- Case Study 3: Legalization of genetically modified crops.- Explaining the uneven application of the precautionary principle.- Conclusion

• ISBN: 978-1-4614-1983-9
• Editorial: Springer
• Encuadernacion: Rústica
• Páginas: 100
• Fecha Publicación: 31/05/2012
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés