EC policy on nanotechnologies
 
 
Action Plan

On 7 June 2005, the European Commission adopted the Communication "Nanosciences and nanotechnologies: an Action Plan for Europe 2005-2009" (COM(2005) 243). This Action Plan defines a series of articulated and interconnected actions for the immediate implementation of a safe, integrated and responsible approach for nanosciences and nanotechnologies, based on the priority areas identified in the above-mentioned European Strategy.
Action Plan in pdf


First implementation report


On 6 September 2007, the European Commission adopted the Communication "Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies: an action plan for Europe 2005-2009.
First Implementation Report 2005-2007".
This reports progress in virtually all areas of the Action Plan below
First implementation report in pdf


Second implementation report


On 29 October 2009, the European Commission adopted the Communication "Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies: an action plan for Europe 2005-2009.
Second Implementation Report 2007-2009".
This outlines the key developments during 2007-2009 in each policy area of the Action Plan, identifies current challenges, and draws conclusions relevant to the future European nanotechnology policy. Where appropriate, for the sake of completeness and continuity, developments in preceding years are included. Detailed supporting information can be found in the accompanying Staff Working Document.
Second implementation report in pdf

The website of the European Commission on industrial nanotechnologies


Nanotechnology’ is the new frontier of science and technology in Europe and around the world, working at the scale of individual molecules. Top scientists as well as policymakers worldwide praise the benefits it would bring to the entire society and economy: most of them insist on the key role research would play in the value-creation process to develop exploitable portfolios of technologies by the European industry leading to a choice of unique applications, products, markets and profitable revenue sources.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/industrial_technologies/nanoscience-and-technologies_en.html
 
   
 
 
Definitions
 
 

What is a "nanomaterial" according to the European Commission?


Nanomaterials are chemical substances or materials that are manufactured and used at a very small scale (down to 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair)... more

 

What is a "nanomaterial" according to the Joint Research Center?


The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission has released a report on the definition of the term 'nanomaterial'. The document entitled 'Considerations on a definition of nanomaterial for regulatory purposes' can be downloaded here.

 

What is a "nanomaterial" according to the ISO/IEC 80004-1 Nanotechnologies - Volabulary - Part 1 - Core terms - 2010?


Material with any external dimension in the nanoscale (2.1) or having internal structure or surface structure in the nanoscale.
NOTE 1:This generic term is inclusive of nano-object (2.5) and nanostructured material (2.7).
NOTE 2:See also engineered nanomaterial (2.8), manufactured nanomaterial (2.9) and incidental nanomaterial (2.10).
http://www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=51240