Since the start of discussions regarding terminologies and definitions of nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanomaterial, NIA has closely monitored the developments in public standardisation and policy-making committees, as well as in industrial groups, and alerted its Members on upcoming consultations and decisions.
NIA regularly holds symposia on topical issues, in order to allow for direct exchange between regulators and industries representatives; on the 30th November 2011, NIA held a timely workshop on 'Defining Nano!? - Compliance Requirements & Market Impact of the EU Definition of 'Nanomaterials''.
Detailed analysis of proposed regulatory definitions and insight into the resulting implications are regularly provided in the form of 'NIA Members Briefings', such as:
- Ad-hoc NIA Members Briefing on the 10 most burning questions regarding the publication of the 'European Commission Recommendation on the Definition of 'Nanomaterial', published 18. October 2011.
- NIA Members Briefing on the 'European Commission Recommendation on the Definition of 'Nanomaterial'', published November 2012.
- NIA Members Briefing on the 'Measurement Requirements of the European Commission Definition of 'Nanomaterial', published December 2012.
NIA Members involved in the measurement and analysis of nanomaterials benefit from NIA’s established position within the nanomaterial research community; through NIA’s participation in leading state-of-the-art R&D projects concerned with the review of OECD Test Guidelines, recommendation of novel measurement and testing methodologies and creation of regulatory relevant data on nano-specific parameters. The NIA’s activities include initiation and coordination of Public-Private-Partnerships in support of the OECD WPMN Sponsorship Programme, as well as participation and Members representation in various publically funded project, such as ‘NanoDEFINE: Development of an integrated approach based on validated and standardized methods to support the implementation of the EC recommendation for a definition of nanomaterial’.
