Le Principe de précaution

The document explores the precautionary principle as a guide for decision-makers to protect the environment and public health despite scientific uncertainty. It traces the principle's origins from Swedish national law and the 1972 Stockholm Conference to its formalization in the 1992 Rio Declaration and integration into the EU's Maastricht Treaty. The text highlights the principle's role in addressing climate change and biodiversity, while noting the ongoing tension between environmental precaution and economic development.

• The precautionary principle serves as a guide for decision-makers to take protective actions for the environment, security, and public health when scientific certainty is lacking.
• The 1992 Rio Declaration's Principle 15 provides a widely recognized practical framework, stating that the lack of full scientific certainty should not be used to postpone cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation when there are threats of serious or irreversible damage.
• A central and controversial element of the precautionary principle is the reversal of the burden of proof, requiring the entity proposing an activity to prove it is not harmful, rather than requiring the challenger to prove harm.
• The principle originated in Sweden with the 1969 environmental protection law and later became a fundamental part of European Union law via the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.
• The principle is integrated into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Article 3, which urges parties to take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent, or minimize the causes of climate change.
• Application of the principle can lead to trade and policy conflicts, such as the European Union's ban on beef hormones (contested by the US and Canada) and moratoria on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in countries like Peru and Germany.
• The document notes a trade-off in Japan following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster: while closing nuclear plants avoided immediate health and environmental risks, it led to increased fossil fuel imports and higher greenhouse gas emissions.

APA

Pinto-Bazurco, J. F. (2020). Le Principe de précaution. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/still-one-earth-precautionary-principle-FR.pdf

Chicago

Pinto-Bazurco, Jose Felix. Le Principe de précaution. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/still-one-earth-precautionary-principle-FR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pinto-Bazurco |first1=Jose Felix |title=Le Principe de précaution |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=October 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/still-one-earth-precautionary-principle-FR.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pintobazurco2020principe, author = {Pinto-Bazurco, Jose Felix}, title = {{Le Principe de précaution}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/still-one-earth-precautionary-principle-FR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }