Positions and Policies

Additional regulation is not necessary

Degussa does not see any need for specific, additional regulation of nanomaterials. Present laws and regulations and REACH, the heart of the EU’s new chemicals policy, are sufficient to ensure safe handling of nanomaterials. This is in line with the opinion expressed by the German government in summer 2006 in response to a parliamentary question tabled by the German Green Party.

Since nanomaterials are physical substances as defined in the German Chemicals Act (ChemG), they fall within the scope of this law. German companies are required to analyze the risks of the substances they produce, regardless of production volume. The results of their analyses form the basis for the labeling and classification of products and defining occupational health and safety requirements. The data compiled are summarized in a safety data sheet. Consumer products have to meet even tougher standards set out in a separate cosmetics ordinance and the German Food and Commodities Act (LMBG).