In 2011, the European Commission (EC) adopted a Recommendation on the definition of a nanomaterial.  The Recommendation invites member states, European Union (EU) agencies, and economic operators to use the definition “in the adoption and implementation of legislation and policy and research programmes concerning products of nanotechnologies.”  The EC is now reviewing its Recommendation.  It has launched a targeted stakeholder consultation to update, test, and verify the preliminary findings of this comprehensive review, gathering further evidence and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders who have a role in application of the harmonized regulatory definition of nanomaterial in the EU.  The EC states that the consultation aims to:

• Verify or complement the findings of the review;

• Gather precise and structured technical feedback on the identified technical elements of the definition that could be addressed by changes to the definition; and

• Gather input on the impact of the changes under consideration: would they influence (different) classification of specific materials placed or emerging on the market?

The consultation includes a summary of the interim findings and links to relevant documents and reports, and provides a short rationale with every question.  The online consultation is open until June 30, 2021.