Transcript Det Ny Etiske Råd

Developments of Bioethics
in Europe and Lithuania
Vilnius, September 23 - 24, 2005
Ole J. Hartling
Danish Council of Ethics
The Danish Council of Ethics
• established 1987 by law
• revised law no. 440 of 9th. June 2004
• ethical advice – (including issues connected
with the application of bio- and gene
technology)
• scope: human beings, nature, environment,
and food
Composition of the Council
17 members
• “gender neutral” i.e. equal number of men
and women
• insight into ethical, cultural, societal, and
other related questions
• both experts and lay-people are represented
in the council
• the members do not represent any
organisation or political party
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17 members
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9 members and the chairman
appointed by the parliamentary committee
4 members by the Minister for
Health and Interior Affairs
1 member by the Minister for
Environmental Affairs
1 member by the minister for
Family and Consumer affairs
1 member by the minister for
Science, Technology og and
Development
1 member by the minister for
Food, Agriculture and
Fisheries
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The Danish Council of Ethics
Prerequisites:
• independency
• respect for the
integrity and
dignity of man and
future generations
• respect for nature
and the
environment
The purpose: Two legs to walk on
• Advice - parliament and government
• Debate - public debate
Scope I
• Human beings Human life
• e.g.:
• Reproductional technology,
foetal diagnosis, and the
use of fertilised human
eggs and embryos
• Gene technology
Scope II
• Nature and the
environment
• e.g.:
• preservation of biological
diversity and sustainable
development
The legislation landscape
Human beings mainly
national law e.g.:
• rights of patients
• protection of trial
subjects
• artificial procreation
• protection of the dying
The legislation landscape
Environment,
plants, GMO’s,
food
Mainly regulated via EUand international
legislation
(Novel food, Cartagena
Protocol, directive of
contained use,
directive of deliberate
release)
Bioethics
medically/
technically
legally
doing things
right
what is
right?
morally/
ethically
doing the
right things
”Law of nature”
New knowledge and new possibilities
pose new dilemmas
“It is natural for man to do unnatural things.”
anonymous
The patient-doctor relationship will be
based on the conception that
”the human genome is the molecular
self”.
The doctor’s job will be to assess risks
and to tell the patient about his ”risk
profile”.
Formerly the patient went to see the
doctor and presented a symptom.
In the future the doctor sends for the
patient and presents to him what
symptoms the patient may expect.
Hope or fear?
1.
What is going on? What is on it’s
way? What is the problem?
2.
What is god and what it bad? - and
why?
3.
What should we recommend?
Change of law? Rules?
Ethical evaluation - principles, e.g.:
human, ”samaritarian”
- emphasises the motive of help
autonomy based
- emphasises autonomy
individual utilitarian
- emphasises the consequences
for the individual
community utilitarian
- emphasises the consequences for
the community, culture etc.
Groucho Marx:
”These are my principles. If you don’t
like them I have others.”
autonomy
and care
dignity
dignity
primum non
nocere
To address an issue:
• a working group is formed among the members. The
group is assisted by the secretariat
• external experts are consulted if necessary
• the matter and the products of the working group is
discussed in the council at one or more (several)
meetings
• e.g. a report or statement dealing with the issue is
presented
The Danish Council
of Ethics
20th Sep. 2004
99,9% genes in common
Article 4
The human genome in its natural state
shall not give rise to financial gains.
The aim and endeavour is to
make it more than words
HAMLET
Hamlet:
”Words, words, words”
Experience from the human
area to the foods area?
The Human area
• the risk assessments and
ethical principles: autonomy,
dignity, integrity and
vulnerability
The Foods area
• scientific principles for
evaluation: substantial
equivalence – precautionary
principle
• should scientific principles
be supplemented with
”ethical precaution”?
Prospects and challenges
• national implementation of
international conventions
• concrete guidance for
administrators
• dialogue forums among the
different actors
• further scope for public
debate
• crystallising out ethical
values in e.g. the foods area
• incorporating ethical
assessments
Thank you!