Press Releases

The birth of two genetically modified girls claimed on Monday, 26 November 2018, by the Chinese researcher Jiankui He by means of germline editing represents a serious violation of ethical obligations according to the view of the German Ethics Council.

Today, on Thursday, the German Ethics Council is publishing its Opinion "Help through coercion? Professional Caring Relations in Conflict Between Welfare and Autonomy".

Professor Dr. phil. Judith Simon is new member of the German Ethics Council.

This year the German Ethics Council celebrates its tenth anniversary. To mark this occasion, the Council’s members are invited this evening to an official reception hosted by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Over the following two days, the Council will hold its annual meeting, dedicated this year to the topic of “Human Dignity in Our Hands – Challenges from New Technologies.” The opening addresses will be delivered by President of the Bundestag, Wolfgang Schäuble, and the renowned Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari.

Legal expert Volker Lipp has been elected as Vice-Chair during today’s plenary meeting.

In Germany alone there are about four million people living with a rare disease – reason enough for the German Ethics Council to meet 25 April with over 200 guests to focus on the situation of the patients and their families, and discuss how their needs could be better catered for by the health care system.