Brussels, 19/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 17 June, the European Commission decided that it would consult member states and other stakeholders in order to acquire better knowledge of the possibilities of nanotechnology use while preserving adequate protection for nature, the environment and health.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that nanotechnology will foster innovation in areas such as public health, information and communication technology (ITC), the manufacturing industry, environmental protection, energy, transport, security and space. According to forecasts, the global nanotechnology market should account for €750-2000 billion by 2015 and the job creation potential could reach 10 million nanotechnology-related jobs by 2014. Nanotechnologies are covered by existing Community legislation such as the REACH regulation, which is the legislative framework in force for chemical substances, and other sector-specific legislation for food, cosmetic products and medicines, etc.
The Commission nonetheless underlines the need for improved routine monitoring devices and better data on the toxic and eco-toxic effects of nanomaterials, as well as perfected testing methods for producing such data. The Commission takes the view that several aspects of nanomaterial safety require international collaboration to ensure that the nomenclature, standards and testing methods are comparable at global level and that the scientific methods used for regulatory purposes are the same throughout the world. Major work has already been accomplished in this field, mainly by the working party from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the safety of nanomaterials. A working group on nanotechnology was created in March 2007 under the responsibility of the OECD committee on scientific and technological policy. The objective of this working group is to promote international cooperation with a view to facilitating research and development as well as the responsible marketing of nanotechnology in member states and in non-member economies. In this context, the Commission plans for its part to initiate open dialogue with citizens and stakeholders at large to accompany the correct application of the existing legislation to the new products arriving on the market. For further information see: http: //eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM: 2008: 0366: FIN: EN: PDF (OL/transl jl)