Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of boxes
- Authors cited
- Acknowledgements
- List of acronyms
- Part I The precautionary principle – why so much fuss about such a simple idea?
- Part II Harm and chance – managing risk
- Part III Defining and justifying a coherent precautionary principle
- Part IV Precaution in action
- 12 Precaution: from principle to policy
- 13 Integrated risk management
- Part V Conclusion
- References
- Index
12 - Precaution: from principle to policy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of boxes
- Authors cited
- Acknowledgements
- List of acronyms
- Part I The precautionary principle – why so much fuss about such a simple idea?
- Part II Harm and chance – managing risk
- Part III Defining and justifying a coherent precautionary principle
- Part IV Precaution in action
- 12 Precaution: from principle to policy
- 13 Integrated risk management
- Part V Conclusion
- References
- Index
Summary
The precautionary principle is framed as a principle and, as such, cannot be expected to be ready for implementation in particular policy and management situations. Principles are general statements of normative moral positions for a class of concerns. But, to call a statement a principle does not accord it priority over valid moral principles and intuitions – in difficult and contentious policy issues, important principles come into conflict and resolution requires a balanced judgment that considers seriously the principles involved and the facts of the case. Agreed principles provide not policies but touchstones to be organized into a frame for policy resolution that anticipates and accounts for competing and conflicting principles.
In what follows, we establish the role of principles in the policy environment, consider some moral intuitions that inform and support the PP, and begin constructing a framework for precaution. As Arcuri (2007) points out, a serious PP must be articulated in both substantive and procedural terms. So, we proceed to identify the procedural requirements for bringing a substantive precautionary tilt to risk management practice. An intuitively appealing way of integrating the insights of ordinary risk management (ORM) and PP into a coherent risk management framework might treat ORM as the default approach to risk, but provide a PP override in cases where the risk is extraordinary, or the threat is disproportionate.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Risk and Precaution , pp. 195 - 216Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011