Brussels, 14/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - MEPs of the ALDE Group want European policy on nanotechnology to be revised in a way that takes its health and environmental risks into account. This was one of the main conclusions of the seminar on “Opportunities and Risks of Nanotechnology”, held on Wednesday 9 June by the ALDE Group at the European Parliament. Speaking after the seminar, which was attended by some 150 people, Cristian Busoi (ALDE, Romania) said: “Nanotechnologies have an extraordinary potential for technical progress and for our future, since they could play a key role in improving the quality of our lives. However, we also need to assess risks to human health and the environment”. He went on to add: “These risks should be taken into account in the review of the legislation on nanotechnologies, which should strike the right balance between the safety requirement and the need to enhance the performance of the products we use”. His German colleague, Jürgen Creutzmann, pointed out that nanomaterials are already successfully used in most categories of consumer products, whether in textiles, sunscreens or food. “Safety of nanomaterials is an absolute priority and should be ensured by thorough assessments. I would not accept a shift of responsibility from manufacturers or importers to market surveillance”, he stressed, stating that all products entering the internal market must be assessed according to the latest scientific findings. “This is the only way to win consumer confidence in nanotechnology and to counter the fear arguments put forward by its critics. In this perspective, a regulation would help, if it gives legal certainty to the industry”, he said. (B.C./transl.jl)