National Bioethics-Committees in Europe
National Bioethics-Committees in Europe

Summary/Abstract: Many people in central Europe look upon bioethics as an import from the United States. Yet this impression is mistaken in various respects. When Bill Clinton decided to set up a federal-level permanent committee for the fi eld of bioethics, he was actually following a trend already established by Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Belgium. Indeed, France was the first country to take such an initiative. The advantage of a permanent advisory body over ad hoc committees is that it can deliberate on a wider range of issues, have greater latitude to pursue specific issues independently and be consulted not only by constitutional bodies but also by private persons and organisations. However, the broader range of issues addressed and the greater authority enjoyed by a permanent body makes the task of securing expertise and plurality more demanding. Most European states have therefore endeavoured to lay down solid ground rules, usually through legislation. In the overwhelming majority of cases, their members must be appointed by different constitutional bodies but also by research and educational establishments; others, like Norway or Italy, attempt to ensure plurality by defining the disciplines and philosophical positions to be taken into consideration. The paper discusses the role of national ethics bodies between ‘academic’ and ‘bureaucratic’ bioethics as well as between philosophical analysis, public debate and participation and political decision-making.

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