Recommendation 2008/345 - Code of conduct for responsible nanosciences and nanotechnologies research (notified under document number C(2008) 424) - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 116/46

In its Communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘Towards a European research area’ the Commission proposed in January 2000 the creation of a European Research Area (1) with a view to consolidating and structuring European research policy. In May 2007, in the Green Paper ‘The European Research Area: New Perspectives’, the Commission relaunched a broad institutional and public debate on what should be done to create a unified and attractive European Research Area that would fulfil the needs and expectations of the scientific community, business and citizens (2).

The Commission adopted in February 2000 a Communication on the precautionary principle (3), aiming to build a common understanding of how to assess, appraise, manage and communicate risks that science is not yet able to evaluate fully.

In March 2000 the Lisbon European Council set for the Community the objective of becoming in the next decade the most competitive and dynamic knowledge economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.

In 2004, with its Communication ‘Towards a European strategy for nanotechnology’ (4), the Commission identified actions aimed at creating the Community added value necessary to remain competitive in this sector while ensuring its responsible development. In its conclusions of 24 September 2004 (5), the Council (Competitiveness) welcomed the proposed integrated, safe and responsible approach and the Commission’s intention to draw up an Action Plan for nanotechnology.

Taking into account the results of a public consultation, the Commission drew up in 2005 a Nanotechnologies Action Plan (6) which sets out coherent and interconnected actions for the immediate implementation of an integrated, safe and responsible strategy for nanosciences and nanotechnologies based on the priority areas identified in the Communication ‘Towards a European strategy for nanotechnology’. Both Communications explicitly acknowledged that environmental, human health and safety aspects need to be integrated in all nanosciences and nanotechnologies research.

Following the Nanosciences and nanotechnologies Action Plan, in January 2007 the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies presented an opinion on the ethical aspects of nanomedicine (7).

Following comments made during a public consultation on a previous opinion, the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks adopted in March 2006 a modified opinion on the appropriateness of existing methodologies to assess the potential risks associated with engineered and adventitious products of nanotechnologies (8).

In June 2006 the European Council adopted a revised sustainable development strategy fine-tuning the Community sustainable development strategy launched at the Gothenburg Summit in June 2001 that centred on objectives of environment and health protection and poverty eradication.

In its conclusions (9) of 23 November 2007, the Council (Competitiveness) recognised the need to foster synergies and cooperation between all nanosciences and nanotechnologies stakeholders, including the Member States, the Commission, academia, research centres,...