Uncertain safety allocating responsibilities for safety (Amsterdam University Press, 2009)
Flood prevention, food safety, the transport of hazardous substances, infectious diseases, the risk of new technologies and many other threats to public health and the environment call for ongoing public alertness. However, the ways in which these safety risks are currently assessed and managed fall short in addressing the uncertainties of future threats. The Scientific Council for Government Policy, the official think-tank for the Dutch government, argues that in order to ensure future-proof safety policies, a new paradigm should be adopted. This paradigm is based on the precautionary principle, i.e. the notion that the vulnerability of humans, society and the natural environment requires a proactive approach to uncertainties. In this report, the Council suggests ways to embody this principle in both private and public law and in various institutional arrangements