August 8, 2007 — An coalition headed by the International Center for Technology Assessment, which says it is, “devoted to study of and remedies for the ethical problems of patents on life and human body parts,” has released a 15-page document, Principles for the Oversight of Nanotechnologies and Nanomaterials. Endorsed by more than 40 organizations globally, including labor unions and environmental groups such as Greenpeace, the document outlines eight fundamental principles that the coalition believes are necessary to provide oversight and assessment of nanotechnology. The groups’ principles urge governments to establish regulations requiring companies to demonstrate safety before they are permitted to market products using “this new technology.”

Supporters of the effort Friends of the Earth and ETC Group have in the past called for a moratorium on research and development of nanotechnologies.