Lynn L. Bergeson Chairs Panel at Conference on “Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation: Securing the Promise of Nanotechnologies”

The London School of Economics (LSE), Chatham House, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars held a conference on September 10-11, 2009, on “Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation: Securing the Promise of Nanotechnologies,” in London. LSE, Chatham House, ELI, and PEN are participating in an international collaborative project, Regulating Nanotechnologies in the EU and U.S., which is funded by a grant from the European Commission. Their research findings on issues of transatlantic regulatory cooperation were published in a report during the conference. The conference was intended to bring together regulatory experts from the United States (U.S.) and European Union (EU) to discuss recommendations from this research effort and to generate and examine new ideas that would enable greater transatlantic cooperation and convergence on nanotechnology oversight today and in the future. The materials released at the conference include a briefing paper entitled Regulating Nanomaterials:  A Transatlantic Agenda, and the report entitled Securing the Promise of Nanotechnologies:  Towards Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation.

Lynn L. Bergeson moderated a panel concerning chemicals regulation and nanomaterials, and Steve Owens, Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was one of the panelists. According to Owens, EPA is considering proposing new reporting requirements for manufacturers of nanomaterials. Owens described the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program, which EPA intended to encourage submission and development of information, including risk management practices for nanoscale materials, “less than a resounding success.” The reporting requirements would help EPA collect more environmental, health, and safety data regarding nanomaterials.