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June 18, 2010

EU and China Sign MOU Concerning Nanotechnology Risk Assessment

Lynn L. Bergeson

On June 6, 2010, the European Commission (EC) Joint Research Center Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (JRC-IHCP) and the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the European Union (EU)-China Food Safety Scientific Seminar held at the Shanghai World Expo.  According to JRC-IHCP, “[b]oth institutions provide technical support for policy makers and aim to reinforce their co-operation in scientific research for consumer products safety.” The MOU is intended to support risk management, and, through new approaches in nanotechnology, to improve consumer protection.  JRC-IHCP cites the globalization of markets as one reason for this joint effort, saying “food safety or consumer protection are no longer domestic issues, but need to be addressed in an international collaboration.”