What does «principio precautorio» mean in Spanish?
- The precautionary principle (or precautionary principle) is a strategy for addressing issues of potential harm when extensive scientific knowledge on the subject is not available. It emphasizes precaution, pause, and review before jumping to new innovations that may prove disastrous. Critics argue that it is unscientific and a hindrance to progress. Policymakers often use the principle in situations where there is a possibility of harm from making a certain decision (e.g., adopting a certain course of action) and conclusive evidence is not yet available. For example, a government may decide to limit or restrict the widespread release of a drug or new technology until it has been thoroughly tested. The principle recognizes that while progress in science and technology has often brought great benefits to humanity, it has also contributed to the creation of new threats and risks. It implies that there is a social responsibility to protect the public from exposure to such harms when scientific research has found a plausible risk. These protections should be relaxed only if new scientific findings emerge that provide strong evidence that no harm will occur. The principle has become an underlying rationale for a large and growing number of international treaties and declarations in the fields of sustainable development, environmental protection, health, trade and food safety, although it has at times sparked debate on how to define it precisely and apply it to complex scenarios with multiple risks. In some legal systems, such as in European Union law, the application of the precautionary principle has become a legal requirement in some areas of law.