For Me to Know and You to Find Out? Participatory Mechanisms, The Aarhus Convention and New Technologies

The Aarhus Convention lays down a legislative framework for participatory rights in environmental matters and potentially has wide-ranging application in and across the European Union and its Member States. This analysis identifies how these participation requirements can or may be imposed upon the European Commission as it sets about developing a regulatory framework for nanotechnologies. It then proceeds to identify a set of practical guidelines regarding public participation and nanotechnologies that could guide and assist the Commission in its current work on nanotechnology regulation. It is also suggested that these guidelines could provide an appropriate basis for assisting in the development of a suitable regulatory framework for new technologies in the future.