Lessons Learned from the Regulation of Nanomaterials with Regard to Advanced Materials

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of so-called advanced materials, which also include engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), in products, procedures, processes and various areas of technology and research. This has and will in future lead to increased exposure to these materials and also to their entry into the environment. While there are valid regulations for nanomaterials that explicitly address them and also a definition proposal from the European Commission, advanced materials currently appear more as a strategic term to characterize innovation-relevant materials with high development potential. It describes materials that have been specifically developed or improved to exhibit superior properties compared to conventional materials and often use nanoscale structures. The term advanced material (AdMa) does not currently have a uniform legal definition, but is frequently used in research, industry and politics. The example of nanomaterials, whose regulatory history has now lasted several decades and is still constantly being discussed and expanded, should make it clear how important it is to focus on regulation early enough to anticipate negative consequences for humans and the environment at an early stage in line with the precautionary principle. With this in mind, the existing international and national regulation of nanomaterials should be systematically analyzed for its applicability to the AdMa sector, possible gaps identified and recommendations for action derived.