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Norway announces reporting scheme of nanomaterials
Published: Thursday 25 June 2009
The Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) has announced plans to establish a ‘scheme for Norwegian businesses to report their use of nanomaterials in chemical products’.
According to the announcement on the website of the Norwegian Board of Technology (Teknologirådet), these plans are ‘in line with recommendations from the Norwegian Board of Technology. [...] Information about nanomaterials in chemical products will be incorporated as a separate topic in declarations to the Norwegian Product Register, administered by the SFT.’
‘The Product Register’s initiative promises to be an example even internationally,’ says Tore Tennøe, director at the Board of Technology, referring to the European Union’s REACH-regulation. ‘The new initiative will supplement REACH with a focus on how substances are marketed and used in real life – in the form of chemical products,’ adds the article.
The scheme is not strictly mandatory, a fact that is described as ‘an obvious weakness’ by Tennøe; the reasons for this are related to the lack of a definition of nanomaterial: ‘First, it is unclear what should be regarded a nanomaterial. One example is nanoparticles manufactured from natural minerals. A company can then assume that the nanoparticles are equal to the mother substance, and do not reward special attention or a new entry to the Product Register.’
The Norwegian Board of Technology advocates a mandatory scheme as soon as it is feasible. In 2008 the Norwegian Board of Technology established an expert group to identify steps to improve knowledge and control of nanomaterials.
In June 2008, the Norwegian Board of Technology published the expert group report entitled ‘Nanomaterialer, risiko og regulering’ (in Norwegian).
In October 2008, a draft English abstract of the report became available; this abstract lists, amongst other, the following recommendations:
- Nanomaterials do not reward a separate regulation. Rather, regulation of nanomaterials should be based on current regulatory approaches concerning health and the environment.
- It is necessary to monitor the use of nanomaterials. Mandatory registration in the Norwegian Product Register should be expanded to include all products where nanoparticles are added.
Follow these links to read the full announcement on the Norwegian Board of Technology website, find out more about the Norwegian Product Register, or read the draft English abstract of the expert group report.