Like any cutting-edge technology, nanotechnology raises critical ethical and legal dilemmas. The potential benefits and negative impacts are increasingly being discussed, as well as issues related to the formulation of relevant policies. The main cause for concern is the uncertainty of potential risks that nanotechnology applications may pose to humans and the environment in an already extensive range of product, tool, and service production, which is expected to expand dramatically in the near future. This uncertainty is due to the nanoscale itself, the minimal sizes of which make material behavior unpredictable.
It is certain that studying the regulatory dimensions and consequences of cutting-edge technology applications will decisively contribute to the quality of future research, urgently demanding regulation. Today, an increasing number of young scientists, as well as several national research institutions, are engaged in research. Familiarity with law and ethics - and therefore with the best practices required by research policy in the EU today - is now an inherent element of their credibility.