26/04/2013 Session
Strasbourg, 26.04.2013 – Nanotechnology – the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale – and its myriad applications have the potential for enormous benefits, in particular in the field of “nanomedicine”, but can also do serious harm, PACE has pointed out.
In a resolution, based on a report by Valeriy Sudarenkov (Russia, SOC), the Assembly pointed out that nanotechnology poses risks to public health and the environment which are as yet poorly understood, yet commercial applications of nanotechnology are already in widespread use. Regulations have struggled to keep up with the pace of scientific innovation.
The Council of Europe should set legal standards on nanotechnology based on the precautionary principle, but which will not hinder nanotechnology’s potential beneficial use.