van Calster, Geert; Bowman, Diana M. --- "A Good Foundation? Regulatory Oversight of Nanotechnologies Using Cosmetics as a Case Study" [2010] ELECD 721; in Hodge, A. Graeme; Bowman, M. Diana; Maynard, D. Andrew (eds), "International Handbook on Regulating Nanotechnologies" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010)

Book Title: International Handbook on Regulating Nanotechnologies

Editor(s): Hodge, A. Graeme; Bowman, M. Diana; Maynard, D. Andrew

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781848446731

Section: Chapter 13

Section Title: A Good Foundation? Regulatory Oversight of Nanotechnologies Using Cosmetics as a Case Study

Author(s): van Calster, Geert; Bowman, Diana M.

Number of pages: 23

Extract:

13 A good foundation? Regulatory oversight
of nanotechnologies using cosmetics as a
case study
Geert van Calster and Diana M. Bowman


Whereas nanomaterials are likely to be the next `big thing', especially given that
manipulating all matter has been man's ultimate dream for centuries (Schlyter,
2009: 4).

On 24 April 2009 the European Parliament adopted a resolution on regu-
latory aspects of nanomaterials (European Parliament, 2009), the draft
of which included the above quote.1 The resolution within the Parliament
was significant for a number of reasons including that the Parliament
voted at this time to include nano-specific provisions in cosmetics and
food legislation. The resolution includes some important regulatory con-
straints for the manufacturers, importers and distributors within these
two sectors, but in particular for those who have, or are looking to, incor-
porate engineered nanomaterials in products and place them onto the
European Union (EU) market. Most importantly, the text testifies to the
increased readiness within the regulatory community to adopt targeted,
nano-specific regulation. The extract above also highlights the suspicion
which does exist in regulatory quarters, especially in the EU and more par-
ticularly among the European Parliament, vis-à-vis not only the ambitions
or indeed dreams of the scientific community, but also the way in which its
own regulatory bodies regulate those ambitions.
This chapter examines the adequacy of the current regulatory frame-
work for cosmetics containing nanomaterials in the EU, with a specific
focus on the adequacy of current risk assessment for ...