Michael Fuchs National ethics councils - Deutscher Ethikrat

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