Press release 07/2004
Berlin, 13 September 2004

National Ethics Council issues Opinion on cloning

After more than a year of intensive deliberation the German National Ethics Council is today (Monday) issuing its Opinion Cloning for Reproductive Purposes and Cloning for the Purposes of Biomedical Research.

The National Ethics Council unanimously takes the view that a worldwide ban should be imposed on human cloning for reproductive purposes and that the legal situation in Germany should be clarified by the adoption of criminal-law provisions prohibiting the practice.

Three positions have emerged on human cloning for research purposes:

A

Retention of the prohibition of research cloning

B

Limited sanctioning of research cloning

C

Prohibition of research cloning for the time being

Notwithstanding these three positions, the National Ethics Council has reached a consensus to the effect that human cloning for research purposes should not be allowed at present.

The Council's ethical and constitutional assessments on reproductive and research cloning are based on a thoroughgoing analysis of the scientific state of the art and of the current legal situation.

As with the Opinion Genetic Diagnosis Before and During Pregnancy (2003), the Council again decided to dispense with a vote. The differing positions on research cloning are each signed by the members who subscribe to them.

The Opinion Cloning for Reproductive Purposes and Cloning for the Purposes of Biomedical Research can be accessed online at:
http://www.ethikrat.org/_english/publications/Opinion_Cloning.pdf

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