Recommendations for the safer development of nanotechnology for the EU's REACH regulation implementation

The document argues that nanomaterials possess novel properties and higher reactivity than bulk materials, necessitating a comprehensive revision of the EU's REACH and CLP regulations. The authors call for the explicit legal recognition that nano forms are different from bulk forms, the lowering of registration thresholds to 10kg/year by 2018, and the requirement that all nanomaterial dossiers include chemical safety assessments similar to those for Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic (CMR) substances. Additionally, the statement demands the creation of a publicly accessible inventory of nanomaterials and consumer products, mandatory nano-labelling for all nano-containing products, and the strict enforcement of the "no data, no market" principle to deny market access to nanomaterials lacking sufficient hazard and risk data.

• The authors argue that current EU legislation fails to ensure the safety of nanomaterials because it does not require them to be assessed separately from the bulk form of the substance, and they call for the principle that nano forms have different intrinsic properties to be explicitly established in REACH and CLP regulations.
• Due to the higher reactivity of nanomaterials compared to bulk materials, the authors recommend lowering REACH registration thresholds and requiring all nanomaterials produced over 10kg/year to be registered with ECHA by 2018 using a specific nanoform registration dossier.
• The document highlights a significant gap in registration, noting that only nine substances were registered as nanomaterials six years after REACH registration requirements began, despite a larger number of such substances being on the market.
• The authors propose that all nanomaterial registration dossiers under REACH should include a chemical safety assessment and meet the same information submission requirements as substances classified as Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic (CMRs).
• To protect the public's right to know, the authors demand the establishment of a European-level publicly accessible inventory of nanomaterials and consumer products, alongside specific nano-labelling requirements for all nano-containing products, including detergents, aerosols, sprays, paints, and medical devices.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2014). Recommendations for the safer development of nanotechnology for the EU's REACH regulation implementation. https://www.ciel.org/news/ciel-partners-publish-recommendations-for-the-safer-development-of-nanotechnology-for-the-eus-reach-regulation-implementation/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Recommendations for the safer development of nanotechnology for the EU's REACH regulation implementation. 2014. https://www.ciel.org/news/ciel-partners-publish-recommendations-for-the-safer-development-of-nanotechnology-for-the-eus-reach-regulation-implementation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Recommendations for the safer development of nanotechnology for the EU's REACH regulation implementation |date=1 April 2014 |url=https://www.ciel.org/news/ciel-partners-publish-recommendations-for-the-safer-development-of-nanotechnology-for-the-eus-reach-regulation-implementation/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2014recommendations, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Recommendations for the safer development of nanotechnology for the EU's REACH regulation implementation}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ciel.org/news/ciel-partners-publish-recommendations-for-the-safer-development-of-nanotechnology-for-the-eus-reach-regulation-implementation/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }