Position Paper Reset Governance: Nanomaterials as a case study on negligence

Civil society organisations argue that the European Commission's 'laissez-faire approach' to nanomaterials creates unnecessary risks to health and the environment. They call for a harmonised framework regulation that includes a legally binding definition, mandatory information requirements, and the 'no data, no market' principle. The paper advocates for a lifecycle approach to governance, mandatory product labelling, and increased funding for environmental, health, and safety (EHS) research.

• The European Commission is accused of a 'laissez-faire approach' to nanomaterial policy, characterized by delays in revising REACH Annexes and failing to enforce the Cosmetics Regulation and the Food Information to Consumers Regulation.
• Signatories demand a harmonised framework regulation for nanomaterials that establishes a legally binding definition and mandatory information requirements for hazard, exposure, and risk management, applying to materials with an annual production volume of at least 100g.
• The paper calls for the enforcement of the 'no data, no market' principle, meaning products should be removed from the market or denied access if significant data gaps exist, and no manufactured nanomaterials should enter the environment without adequate safety data.
• The authors advocate for a lifecycle governance approach based on full producer responsibility from production to end-of-life management to support a 'toxic-free circular economy'.
• The document proposes that all research projects involving nanomaterials must include publicly available environmental, health, and safety (EHS) research to address the current imbalance where application development funding far exceeds safety research.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Position Paper Reset Governance: Nanomaterials as a case study on negligence. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NGO-position-paper_Dec2016_Reset-Governance_Nanomaterials.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Position Paper Reset Governance: Nanomaterials as a case study on negligence. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NGO-position-paper_Dec2016_Reset-Governance_Nanomaterials.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Position Paper Reset Governance: Nanomaterials as a case study on negligence |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NGO-position-paper_Dec2016_Reset-Governance_Nanomaterials.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndposition, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Position Paper Reset Governance: Nanomaterials as a case study on negligence}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NGO-position-paper_Dec2016_Reset-Governance_Nanomaterials.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }