Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-12-13-Speech-3-370"
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"en.20001213.15.3-370"2
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". – Mr President, I would like to express my appreciation for Parliament's initiative in addressing the topic of the precautionary principle and for the excellent work of the rapporteur, Mrs Patrie.
This Commission's communication on the precautionary principle was issued in February this year and it proposes guidelines on when and how to use the precautionary principle. The principle and approach is often referred to at national, European and global level when questions related to human health and the environment are discussed. The precautionary principle was also discussed at the Nice Summit, which took note of a resolution adopted by the General Affairs Council. The resolution calls on the Commission to use the guidelines adopted and to incorporate the precautionary principle whenever necessary in drawing up its legislative proposals and in all its actions. The resolution also highlights the need to work actively for a commitment by international partners to reach an understanding on the application of the principle. We now examine how this resolution should be followed up.
The Commission communication is not the final word on the issue. I therefore welcome Parliament's motion for a resolution on this important issue and would like to comment on some of the points it raises. The Commission confirms its intention to make active use of the precautionary principle whenever appropriate. We consider it as a general principle which should be taken into consideration in the fields of environmental protection and human, animal and plant health. Regarding its implications at international level, in particular within the World Trade Organisation, the Commission considers that the precautionary principle is becoming a full-fledged rule of customary international law with all the rights attached to it. This entitles the Community to prescribe the level of protection notably with regard to the environment and human, animal and plant health which it considers appropriate. It will also raise the capacity of developing countries to ensure protection of the environment and human, animal and plant health.
Parliament must have noted that the Commission is in line with most of the issues raised in your motion for a resolution. However, I would like to clarify some points. Concerning the eventual withdrawal of a product on the basis of process or production methods, it is not possible to make any general statement on the legitimacy of such an action prior to a comprehensive risk assessment. The distinction made in the resolution between the precautionary principle and prudence would need to be more precise. The prudential approach is part of risk assessment policy and is an integral part of the scientific opinion delivered by the risk evaluators. On the other hand, application of the precautionary principle is part of risk management. One consequence of this is that initial suspicions or empirical judgments cannot be used alone as regards the application of the precautionary principle. The hazard has to be identified and risk assessment has to be carried out by experts before measures are taken.
It is important to stress that it is for the decision-makers to define the level of protection. It is not possible to provide a general
threshold. The Commission considers that the motion for a resolution is balanced on this issue and does not support Amendment No 3.
Finally, the burden of proof may be reversed on a case-by-case evaluation. A general rule is not appropriate.
To conclude, I would like to thank Parliament for its support in addressing this issue. The motion for resolution will help foster a general understanding of the precautionary principle both within the Community and internationally."@en1
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