Zásada předběžné opatrnosti v potravinovém právu EU

In the 90s, the adjustment of food law in the European Union was reoriented from the previously preferred free trade to food safety. This was a reaction to the spread of mad cow disease. Over time, new threads such as new technologies, genetically modified organisms, chemical detergents and other substances have developed. In cases where there is uncertain impact on environment, health and life of people or animals; the European Union can, under certain conditions, come up with protective measures based on the precautionary principle, which this thesis focuses on. Furthermore, the thesis deals with (non)existence of protectionism when applying the principle. In addition, one of its goals is to describe the problem and to find out how the principle is understood, applied and recognized on various levels – among EU countries, in approach of the European Food Safety Authority compared to the U S Food and Drug Administration or disputes in the World Trade organization. The last part of the thesis is devoted to the assessment of how feasible the cooperation within agreements such as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with regards to the precautionary principle is.