Press Releases

This was the central question posed by the German Ethics Council during its autumn conference at the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts, which was attended by over 250 people. What does neuroimaging reveal about a person’s personality, about what he or she is experiencing and about his or her behaviour? Can neuroimaging make a contribution towards the diagnosis of psychological ailments and the adjudication of offenders? What challenges arise in the field of medical ethics as a result of unexpected findings or untreatable ailments coming to light?

On 26 September 2013, following guideline violations in the allocation of donor organs, the German Ethics Council examined the question of the fair allocation of organs at its public plenary session in Berlin.

How can participants in pharmaceutical studies be protected and ethical standards be effectively enforced in the global context? How can research quality be ensured in a global context? Are ethics committees suited to and necessary for the protection of test subjects? What ethical standards should European research projects take into account? It was to questions such as these and others that the German Ethics Council sought answers at its 2013 annual meeting in Berlin last Thursday, in the course of which it held discussions with around 300 delegates.

In response to a commission by the Federal Government, the German Ethics Council has compiled an Opinion on the future of genetic diagnosis. On the basis of the right of people affected by a genetic test to know, their right not to know and their right of informational self-determination, the Council recommends in particular measures for the improvement of information, explanation and counselling. Other proposed requirements include special provisions on the conduct of prenatal genetic diagnosis, protection of those lacking the capacity to give consent, the quality of genetic tests and their funding within the healthcare system. The Council not only offers recommendations for political and legislative action, but also aspires to stimulate public debate on future developments in genetic diagnosis.

At a public hearing on 25 April 2013 the Ethics Council questioned nine experts on possible ways of preventing the misuse of biological research by third parties without imposing excessive restrictions on the freedom of research. The results will be incorporated in an Opinion on biosecurity which the Ethics Council is currently drafting in response to a commission by the Federal Government.

What is the responsibility of the individual and society for shaping demographic change? How can solidarity and tolerance be encouraged? These questions were debated by the German Ethics Council with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and over 350 guests at a meeting in the Council’s Bioethics Forum series.