Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-28-Speech-4-010"
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"en.20060928.4.4-010"2
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"Mr President, I am here today to talk about the big issue of small technologies. Over 2000 years ago, the ancient Greek politician Demosthenes said: ‘Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.’ I believe he was right. And I mean enterprise in every sense of the word – not just as a business, but as a project and a voyage of discovery.
I am very happy to note that the European Parliament, through the report of Mr Ransdorf, fully recognises the important role to be played by nanosciences and nanotechnologies and welcomes the Commission’s action plan. I find it very positive that the report calls for increased public investment in related research and development, particularly in developing relevant infrastructures and nanomedicine. It is equally important that it stresses the importance of creating the right climate for innovation in Europe as well as emphasising the importance of ‘speaking with one voice’ internationally in this highly promising research area. I am very happy to note that the report has enjoyed a very large measure of support from the three parliamentary committees that have discussed it.
To conclude, I hope I have given you a brief outline of the Commission’s balanced and growing nanosciences and nanotechnologies policy. Together, we can all benefit from that exciting new enterprise. I thank the European Parliament for its support so far and hope you will continue to support the Commission in further developing the European dimension of nanoscience and research.
Nanotechnology has already shown that it holds a lot of promise. It not only offers new solutions to many current problems, but also opens up new innovation opportunities, boosting the economy and creating jobs.
Nanotechnology is already making a difference in many areas. For example, new medical treatments are being developed for severe diseases such as brain tumours and Alzheimer’s disease; it is helping the environment through more efficient catalysts, better batteries and more efficient light sources; and smaller, lighter and better-performing materials, components and systems are being created. But nanotechnology could also make a huge contribution to major global challenges such as how to tackle threats to the environment, how to make better use of resources and create less waste, and how to improve energy generation technologies.
Europe is in a leading position in the world today, partly thanks to the Commission’s framework programme. European industry should now reap the benefits of that knowledge through innovative products and processes. But to follow through, we need to take action on several fronts, which are outlined in the Commission’s communication Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies: An Action Plan for Europe 2005-09. These include the need to increase investment, boost interdisciplinarity, create necessary infrastructures, expand human resources and foster innovation.
Much progress has already been made in implementing the action plan: Commission funding for research in nanosciences and nanotechnologies has steadily increased to about EUR 470 million in 2005. In fact, the Commission has now become the world’s largest single public funding agency for nanotechnology. It accounted for 30% of public funding of nanotechnology research in the European Union last year. Significant funding increases are expected over the duration of the Seventh Framework Programme. The Commission has proposed expanding funding for nanotechnology, with a new emphasis on developing infrastructures and projects assessing the risk of nanotechnology for humans and the environment. That is a key area, because, as well as the benefits, we must also recognise the potential risks. These must be carefully assessed. Some concerns have already been raised about new applications.
The action plan addresses these too. Special projects and publicity in many languages will provide information and communication. There are projects to engage the public – presenting both sides of the argument; brochures explaining how nanotechnology works; and even DVDs explaining the issues in simple terms for children. In addition, the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies is working on an opinion on the ethics of nanomedicine, which we expect to be delivered to President Barroso soon.
The Commission is committed to ensuring a balanced approach. What is fundamental is to have a high level of public health, safety, environmental and consumer protection. To do that, in Europe we need to identify the safety concerns, collect data for a health and environmental impact assessment of the product, and act at the earliest possible stage through adjustments, where necessary, of risk assessment procedures for nanotechnology.
The Commission is also looking at the European legislation applicable to nanotechnology. We are assessing how adequate and appropriate that legislation is to deal with the increasing use of nanotechnologies. We also need to consider potential regulatory issues.
Lastly, we are active in many international fora, addressing new issues and seeking to develop a code of good conduct."@en1
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