THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE: A HIGH-RISK PRINCIPLE†

  1. Gabriel Calzada1,
  2. Cécile Philippe2,
  3. Xavier Méra3

Article first published online: 28 JUN 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0270.2005.00566.x

Issue

Economic Affairs

Economic Affairs

Volume 25, Issue 3, pages 60–62, September 2005

Additional Information

How to Cite

Calzada, G., Philippe, C. and Méra, X. (2005), THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE: A HIGH-RISK PRINCIPLE. Economic Affairs, 25: 60–62. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0270.2005.00566.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Director of the Juan de Mariana Institute.

  2. 2

    Director of the Institut Economique Molinari.

  3. 3

    Associate Researcher at the Institut Economique Molinari.

  • †

    This article is based on an Economic Note originally published by the Institut Economique Molinari in April 2005.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 28 JUN 2008
  2. Article first published online: 28 JUN 2008

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The precautionary principle - recently added to the French constitution and part of the draft Constitution of the European Union - aims to protect the public from the risks associated with scientific and technological advance by allowing governments to ban any activity deemed to involve risks, even if those risks are unproven. In reality, the precautionary principle itself poses enormous risks of losing the advantages of projects that are banned, of preventing the development of the means by which risk may be ameliorated and of threatening the private property rights that provide the most effective environmental safeguard.

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