Michael Fuchs National ethics councils - Deutscher Ethikrat
Michael Fuchs National ethics councils - Deutscher Ethikrat
Michael Fuchs National ethics councils - Deutscher Ethikrat
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I. Europe<br />
1. France and the Benelux States<br />
France<br />
<strong>National</strong> <strong>ethics</strong> <strong>councils</strong>. Their backgrounds, functions and modes of operation compared<br />
The French Comité Consultatif <strong>National</strong> d’Ethique pour les Sciences de la Vie et de<br />
la Santé (CCNE) is surely a paradigmatic national <strong>ethics</strong> body. Notwithstanding repeated<br />
changes of government and president in France, it has displayed remarkable<br />
continuity in the two decades of its activity. It is thus one of the oldest permanent<br />
<strong>ethics</strong> bodies in the field of biomedicine, and as such the oldest of all committees<br />
with the clearly defined status of an advisory organ to the legislature. The CCNE<br />
stands out from the large number of such bodies that have since been established<br />
by virtue of its exceptional productivity, having now published some 80 Opinions<br />
(Avis). That is why the Committee is described here first and in particular detail.<br />
When François Mitterrand established the Committee, he made it clear that he<br />
saw it as a response to the challenges of the modern biosciences. It was intended to<br />
stimulate reflection on the <strong>ethics</strong> of research. Responsibility was not to be left to the<br />
researchers alone, but to be approached by a wide-ranging and thorough debate in<br />
which dogmatism and laissez-faire were equally to be avoided. Under the terms of the<br />
founding decree of 1983, issues can be referred to the CCNE by the President of the<br />
<strong>National</strong> Assembly or of the Senate, by members of the Government, by public or<br />
non-profit organizations and by universities. While the Committee is bound to draw<br />
up Opinions on matters referred to it by these institutions, it may also take up referrals<br />
from other parties and itself propose subjects for its consideration. Referrals by<br />
individual members of parliament, for example, fall into this group. In practice, a<br />
large number of referrals stem from members of the Government – in particular, the<br />
Minister of Health and the Minister of Research. However, the CCNE also responds<br />
to minor requests and letters from doctors, research workers, associations, students<br />
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