EUROPEANS PROMOTE NANOTECHNOLOGY WITHOUT BORDERS
Nanotechnology should be approached in a spirit of international collaboration and, as a part of this global picture, industry must be part of the solution in regulating nanotechnology, said Philippe Martin, directorate-general of the European Commission's (EC) Health and Consumer Protection branch and a principal administrator for the EC's nanotechnology policy and development efforts.
U.S. industry's "catch me if you can" approach to dealing with regulators is not useful, he said.
Governmental bodies, regulators and policymakers need to get the nanotechnology policy framework right, Matthew Jaffe of the U.S. Council of International Business added. He and Martin spoke at an Oct. 10 conference.
The EC adopted in 2005 a nanotechnology action plan to remain in effect through 2009. The plan seeks to strengthen cooperation, advance risk research, fill data gaps and set international safety standards, Martin said.