NanoCode Project Newsletter No 1
The first NanoCode Newsletter is now available to users of the NanoCode website. The newsletter is the first of three newsletters scheduled throughout the project. NanoCode is an FP7 project with the overall objective of gathering information about knowledge and perception of the European Commission’s European Code of Conduct for Responsible Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies Research (CoC), and developing tools to improve understanding, implementation and use of the CoC amongst companies and organisations carrying out such research activities.
Nanotechnology is one of a number of novel enabling technologies that offers huge potential to benefit society. But these advantages will only fully materialise if nanotechnologies, and products incorporating nanomaterials, are shown to be acceptable to society when benefits are balanced against potential risks and when research and manufacturing are shown to be conducted responsibly.
With this objective in mind, the European Commission developed, and published in February 2008, a Code of Conduct (CoC) Recommendation for European Code of Conduct for Responsible Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies Research which sets out a number of principles aimed at guiding stakeholders towards undertaking nanotechnologies research in the European Community in a safe, ethical and effective framework, so as to support sustainable economic, social and environmental development.
The CoC itself is voluntary but is intended to facilitate and underpin regulatory and governance approaches towards nanotechnologies and to help cope with scientific uncertainties. It is also intended to provide a European basis for dialogue with third countries and international organisations. Consultation has shown, however, that not all stakeholders are aware of the CoC and that, due to the general way its principles and provisions are expressed, others have had difficulty in implementing it in a consistent way. The NanoCode project has therefore been supported by the EC in order to analyse user perspectives in more detail and to develop and provide guidance and tools to address these issues.
The newsletter covers a range of issues concerning the project, including:
- Demonstrating responsible nanotechnology research
- NanoCode at a glance
- NanoCode project partners
- User perceptions of the European Code of Conduct
- Next steps in developing tools to support the European Code of Conduct
- National Experts Workshops & NanoCode International Conference
- NanoCode National Conferences