Archives

October 11, 2023

EC Recommends Carrying Out Risk Assessment on Biotechnologies

The European Commission (EC) announced on October 3, 2023, that it adopted a Recommendation on critical technology areas for the European Union’s (EU) economic security, for further risk assessment with EU member states. According to the EC, the Recommendation relates to the assessment of technology risk and technology leakage. The EC states that the risk assessment “will be objective in character, and neither its results nor any follow-up measures can be anticipated at this stage.”...
September 21, 2023

Austrian Academy of Sciences Publishes NanoTrust Dossier on the Regulation and Safety Assessment of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics in the EU

In August 2023, the Institute of Technology Assessment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences published a NanoTrust Dossier entitled “Nanomaterials in cosmetics — regulation and safety assessment in the EU.” The dossier states that to ensure “the highest possible level of consumer protection,” the European Union (EU) Cosmetics Regulation was adapted in 2009, with special provisions introduced for nanomaterials. These provisions include requiring the notification of cosmetic products...
April 27, 2023

Council of the EU Approves Conclusions on the Opportunities of the Bioeconomy

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   On April 25, 2023, the Council of the European Union (EU) announced that it approved the conclusions on the opportunities of the bioeconomy in light of current challenges, with special emphasis on rural areas. Using biomass to produce food, materials, and energy can help boost rural communities, increase competitiveness, and combat many of the challenges facing the EU. According to the press release, in their conclusions,...
March 16, 2023

EUON Issues Call for Study Proposals

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) has issued a call for study proposals. EUON is looking for studies on: According to EUON, the scope of the study can be on nanomaterials in general, a specific nanomaterial, or a defined group of nanomaterials. EUON will assess all proposals, and if selected, they will be carried out through EUON’s existing procurement channels. EUON will post the outcome and study reports on its website. EUON states that...
January 30, 2023

EUON Publishes Nanopinion on Study of the EU Market for Nanomaterials

On January 17, 2023, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “EU 2025: Enjoying the Benefits of Nanotechnology and NMS” by Dr. Anastasios Papadiamantis and Dr. Antreas Afantitis, both of NovaMechanics Ltd. The authors report the findings of a study commissioned by EUON on the EU market for nanomaterials, including substances, uses, volumes, and key operators. The authors state that the EU (including the European Economic Area (EEA)...
October 28, 2022

All Things Chemical® Podcast Episode “Biotech’s Emergence in the EU and Globally — A Conversation w

This week’s All Things Chemical® podcast will be of interest to readers of the B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog. This episode features a conversation between Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and Dr. Claire Skentelbery, Director General, EuropaBio — The European Association for Bioindustries. Many know Claire from her prior role as Director General of the Nanotechnology Industries Association, where she...
October 20, 2022

EMSA Publishes Update on Potential of Biofuels in Shipping

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   On October 6, 2022, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) announced the availability of a report entitled Update on Potential of Biofuels in Shipping, updating a previous study developed by EMSA on biofuels and examining the full range of biofuels from the perspective of current production capacity, storage and distribution infrastructure, and power-generation technologies. According to EMSA, the report also features techno-economic analyses...
October 13, 2022

EP Approves Legislation to Increase Renewables Use

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   The European Parliament (EP) voted on September 14, 2022, to increase the share of renewables in the European Union’s (EU) final energy consumption to 45 percent by 2030, under the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), a target also backed by the European Commission (EC) under its “RepowerEU” package. According to the EP’s September 14, 2022, press release, the legislation also defines subtargets for sectors...
September 14, 2022

EUON Publishes Nanopinion on the Transportation of Nanoparticles across the Blood-Brain Barrier

On September 13, 2022, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Can the Brain’s Gatekeeper Fight a Nano-Attack?” by Dr. Eugenia (Éva) Valsami-Jones, Professor of Environmental Nanoscience at the University of Birmingham, who co-authored an article entitled “Biotransformation modulates the penetration of metallic nanomaterials across an artificial blood–brain barrier model.” The researchers set out to explore systematically how...
June 23, 2022

EUON Looking for Topics to Address in Upcoming Studies

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced on June 17, 2022, that it is looking for topics that could be addressed in its upcoming studies. EUON conducts up to three studies annually to address knowledge gaps on nanomaterials. EUON is looking for study topics that address: EUON states that the scope of the study can be on nanomaterials in general, a specific nanomaterial, or a defined group of nanomaterials. Studies are run for three to...