7 Jul 2018
What is the Best Precautionary Principle in an Unpredictable World ?
Session 25
While the legal interpretation of the precautionary principle is problematic and much-debated, its economic weight is just as hard to measure as the cost of the external harm it meant to prevent. In the face of this twofold uncertainty, many criticise its tendency to impede innovation, creativity and more generally, a smooth-running economy. This may be true in the short-term, but given the resonance of health and ecological scandals, it seems difficult to contest its validity outright. Correspondingly, the very existence of these sometimes tragic events shows that the legal system in its current form is not enough to prevent risks.
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Given the emergence of new technologies that raise additional ethical questions, there is a need for relaunching constructive debates around the nature of a precautionary principle compatible with future innovation. Should the invention principle take precedence? Prudence, prevention or precaution: which one and in what order? Should the precautionary principle be more flexible, or in contrast, be strengthened? Should the regulators be the ones to assess the situation?
Contributions
WHAT IS THE BEST PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE IN AN UNPREDICTABLE WORLD_TAUFFLIEB