European NanoSafety Cluster Publishes 2017 Research Regulatory Roadmap
On March 9, 2017, the NanoSafety Cluster published its 2017 Research Regulatory Roadmap. The purpose of the Roadmap is to identify both ongoing and complete activities associated with the development of regulations promoting the safety of nanomaterials. The Roadmap identifies research areas or priorities that need to be addressed further to facilitate this process. According to the Roadmap, there remain significant gaps in knowledge and procedures that need to be addressed to generate “appropriate and proportionate regulation for nanomaterials that is informed by a sound evidence base.” The Roadmap outlines the current regulatory landscape pertaining to nanomaterials and then identifies the additional major areas that need to be considered, noting relevant activities that have or are being conducted in relation to each, but highlighting those for which more work is needed. The key activities include not only research, but also standardization and regulation development. The Roadmap states that the rapid evolution of the field of nanotechnology means that the content may need updating with time, and the NanoSafety Cluster plans to combine the outputs of the Roadmap with other activities such as Closer to the Market Roadmap and to consider these reports in generating a NanoSafety Cluster Research Agenda.