Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-09-25-Speech-2-343"
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"en.20070925.33.2-343"2
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"First of all, I would like to thank you for the question concerning the area of nanotechnology. The Commission takes the question of safety and consumer protection very seriously and it is working to ensure that the public can benefit from the innovations that nanotechnologies may bring while being protected from any adverse impact.
Much effort is dedicated to addressing safety issues. Something like EUR 28 million from FP5 and FP6 has been dedicated to projects expressly focused on environmental and health aspects of nanotechnologies, and such research is planned to increase significantly in Framework Programme 7 too, both in size and in scope. As you know, the Commission adopted an action plan for nanosciences and nanotechnology for Europe 2005-2009 and Parliament adopted a resolution on it, in which the action plan was well received.
In the communication published this month on the implementation of the nanotechnology action plan, we fully address the second part of your question. A wide range of European and wider international, especially OECD and ISO, approaches are pursued, both regulatory and non-regulatory, to address the potential adverse impact of nanotechnologies.
The Commission is performing an assessment of regulatory aspects in relation to health, safety and environmental aspects of nanotechnology-based products. Preliminary results indicate that, overall, the existing Community regulatory framework gives good coverage with regard to nanotechnology-based products developed today.
Different aspects of production and products, such as the ones mentioned in the question, like cosmetics and medicines, are already subject to various Community provisions, albeit not specific to nanotechnology. Consequently, there seems today to be no need to develop new legislation for nanotechnology-related safety risks or to propose major amendments. Nevertheless, on the basis of scientific development or regulatory needs in specific areas which the Commission closely monitors, regulatory changes may be proposed where necessary. It is not nanotechnology as such where regulatory aspects should be considered but rather nanotechnology-based products.
The Commission is convinced that the moratorium on nanotechnology would be severely counterproductive. Apart from denying society the possible benefits of such technologies, it may lead to the emergence of technological paradises outside Europe, where research and innovation are carried out without regulatory frameworks.
Finally, I would like to mention another Eurobarometer survey, which was about new technologies and was carried out in 2005 on a sample of 25 000 people. If you compare it to the NanoDialogue exhibition, which you mention in your question, this one was based on 700 respondents. Eurobarometer found that, on the whole, Europeans supported the development of nanotechnology, with approximately 55% in favour. These technologies are perceived as useful to society and morally acceptable. Understandably, as many as 42% of respondents were uncertain about the effects of this new technology, but according to the survey almost 70% of the respondents who expressed an opinion as to its effects were optimistic."@en1
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