The Innovation Society(http://) announced launch of the official project website www.framingnano.eu.

FramingNano is an FP7 funded two-year project aimed at building a deliberative process amongst nanotechnology stakeholders in order to inform the development of a future EU governance framework for the responsible and safe development of nanotechnologies .

The project comprises six European partners from six different European countries, each committed to the project by virtue of their expertise in engaging with stakeholders in the field of nanotechnology.

The project itself will comprise a number of stages, including:

• an analysis of the existing governance and regulatory situation
• the identification of key nanotechnology stakeholders
• a two-stage consultation amongst the identified stakeholders
• development of a governance plan setting out a deliberative process for the responsible development of nanosciences and nanotechnologies at European level and beyond
• public consultation on the proposed governance plan
• communication concerning development of the governance plan and of the outcomes of the project, as well as information generally concerning nanotechnology governance

The FramingNano website will be a key tool in this process and will be a primary means of engaging key nanotechnology stakeholders, communicating information concerning the progress of the project, providing a repository of relevant documents and links concerning all aspects of nanotechnology governance and regulation, and of informing the wider community of the importance of achieving an appropriate governance framework in order to encourage and facilitate the safe and responsible development of nanotechnologies across a wider range of industries within the European Union.