The NIA is backing the EU's updated Safe and Sustainable by Design framework but is pushing back on elements that risk making it unworkable for smaller companies and early-stage innovations.
A new tiered entry system earns NIA's approval, though the association is calling for clearer templates and sector-specific guidance to prevent the process from becoming a compliance maze.
SMEs face a particular data and expertise gap in meeting socio-economic assessment requirements, and NIA is pressing the Commission for simplified approaches and shared databases before the revised framework lands later this year.
NIA Welcomes EU's Revised SSbD Framework While Advocating for Enhanced Practicality
NIA Staff
2 min read
Summary
Brussels, [15.09.2025] – The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) has submitted its response to the European Commission's consultation on the revised Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework, expressing strong support for its ambitious goals while advocating for improvements to enhance practicality and accessibility, particularly for SMEs and emerging technologies.
Positive Framework Elements
NIA welcomes the framework's new tiered entry approach (simplified, intermediate, full), which provides much-needed flexibility for innovators at different stages of technology development. The association also recognizes the value of the new scoping analysis, while emphasizing the need for clearer templates, sector-specific examples, and streamlined decision rules to guide companies efficiently through the process.
