NGOs Comment on EC’s Working Conclusions Concerning Transparency Measures for Nanomaterials on the Market

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) posted on January 13, 2015, a paper entitled “NGO comments on Transparency measures for nanomaterials on the market:  Working conclusions.”  EEB, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Friends of the Earth (FOE) Australia, and Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) state that they disagree with most of the EC’s working conclusions regarding the transparency measures for nanomaterials on the market.  The NGOs claim that the EC’s conclusions “are biased towards industry’s economic interests whilst disregarding environmental health and safety concerns and the public right to know.  We believe the working conclusions fail to provide the right balance between private and public interests.”  The NGOs state:  “In light of the early warnings and key data gaps regarding the risks associated with nanomaterials compilation of necessary information and transparency measures should be driven by the precautionary principle.  This is the only way to adequately manage the potential risks associated with nanomaterials.”