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Science 12 May 2000:
Vol. 288. no. 5468, pp. 979 - 981
DOI: 10.1126/science.288.5468.979
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Policy Forum

RISK MANAGEMENT:
Science and the Precautionary Principle

Kenneth R. Foster,* Paolo Vecchia, Michael H. Repacholi

The Precautionary Principle has become enshrined in international law, and is the basis for European environmental legislation. However, "precautionary" decisions have been controversial, and the principle itself lacks clear definition. A recent commentary by the European Commission offers guidelines for politically transparent application of the principle, while emphasizing the need for careful review of relevant scientific data. Recent precautionary policies for limiting public exposure to radio-frequency energy shows that the principle can be applied in a way that does not conflict with traditional exposure guidelines. Major uncertainties still remain in the standard of proof needed to invoke the principle.

K. R. Foster is usually at the Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA; he is now on sabbatical at World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland. P. Vecchia is at the National Institute of Health, Physics Laboratory, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, I-00161 Rome, Italy. M. H. Repacholi is at the Department of Protection of the Human Environment, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kfoster{at}seas.upenn.edu

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E-Letters:

Read all E-Letters

Precautionary Principle: A Self-Defeating Concept?
Francois Eisinger
Science Online, 19 May 2000 [Full text]

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)