Recommendations are one of the most important sections of a risk assessment report as they take into account the outcomes of the risk assessment to provide direct science-based advice to the intended recipients of the report. A recommendation as to whether or not the risks are acceptable or manageable should be kept within the scope of the risk assessment and based on its findings.
It is important to note that risk assessor(s) are requested to recommend whether the risks are “acceptable” or not. However, the definition of "acceptability" may not be part of a risk assessment but could be pre-established, for example, in thresholds included in government policies or in the mandate given to the risk assessor. Likewise, the final decision on whether to approve (with or without conditions) or prohibit the specific use of the LMO is taken during the decision-making process, which may take into account, depending of the national regulatory framework and among other things, government policies, public opinion, costs of the risk management measures and socio-economic considerations.
