<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><!DOCTYPE Zthes SYSTEM "http://zthes.z3950.org/schema/zthes-1.0.dtd">  <Zthes><term><termId>142</termId><termName>Precautionary principle</termName><termType>TT</termType><termLanguage>en-EN</termLanguage><termVocabulary>D4RUNOFF</termVocabulary>	<termStatus>active</termStatus>	<termApproval>approved</termApproval>	<termSortkey>Precautionary principle</termSortkey><termNote label="Scope"><![CDATA[ <p>EEA</p> ]]></termNote><termNote label="Definition"><![CDATA[ <p>(1) Principle adopted by the UN Conference on thr Environment and Development (1992) that in order to protect the environment, a precautionary approach should be widely applied, meaning that where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage to the environment, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. <br />(2) The precautionary principle permits a lower level of proof of harm to be used in policy-making whenever the consequences of waiting for higher levels of proof may be very costly and/or irreversible. </p> ]]></termNote><termNote label="Definition"><![CDATA[ <p>(1) Principle adopted by the UN Conference on thr Environment and Development (1992) that in order to protect the environment, a precautionary approach should be widely applied, meaning that where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage to the environment, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. <br />(2) The precautionary principle permits a lower level of proof of harm to be used in policy-making whenever the consequences of waiting for higher levels of proof may be very costly and/or irreversible. </p> ]]></termNote><termCreatedDate>Precautionary principle</termCreatedDate></term>  </Zthes>