EU to review all nanotechnology laws
The European Commission is to review all existing EU laws that control the use of nanoparticles, to ensure regulations are sufficiently robust to cope with their unusual properties.
The European Commission is to review all existing EU laws that control the use of nanoparticles, to ensure regulations are sufficiently robust to cope with their unusual properties.
Outgoing EU environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas told a Swedish government-European Commission conference on nano-regulation: “The Commission will review all relevant legislation within two years to ensure safety for all applications of nanomaterials in products with potential health, environmental or safety impacts over their life cycle.” The statement follows earlier positions claiming existing laws were adequate to assess and control potential risks posed by nanomaterials.
Meanwhile, an EU-funded research project has called for the creation of more open, transparent and democratic regulation of nanotechnology to avoid the mistrust amongst European consumers that has stymied the release of genetically modified materials into the European market. The DEEPEN project has released a report warning current regulatory systems are opaque, and “marked by mixed motives and confused practices”.