Commission creates new Group for ethics, science and new technologies
The European Commission has established a new European Group for ethics, science and new technologies to give advice on ethical questions in all sciences and new technologies. The new Group replaces the Group of Advisors on the Ethical Implications of Biotechnology, created in 1991. As part of its enlarged mandate, biotechnology will remain a central aspect of the work of the new Group. Other areas, such as new information technologies, will also have a major impact on people's everyday lives and should be examined from an ethical point of view. The Group will also cover sciences, including research. The Group may deliver opinions on the request of the Commission, or may adopt opinions on appropriate questions on its own initiative. The Commission hopes that the Group will work closely with other EU institutions. Twelve experts have been appointed to the Group with a three-year mandate. Seven were previously members of the Group of Advisors on the Ethical Implications of Biotechnology. The Group will act completely independently of the Commission and of political, economic or national interests. The twelve members, by discipline, are: - Mrs Noëlle LENOIR, law (France); - Ms Paula MARTINHO DA SILVA, law (Portugal); - Prof. Stefano RODOTA, law (Italy); - Dr. Anne McLAREN, genetics (United Kingdom); - Prof. Marja SORSA, genetics, toxicology, scientific administration (Finland); - Mr. Octavi QUINTANA-TRIAS, medicine, health administration (Spain); - Dr. Peter WHITTAKER, biology (United Kingdom and Ireland); - Prof. Ina WAGNER, sociology - informatics, Information Society (Austria); - Prof. Göran HERMEREN, philosophy (Sweden); - Prof. Gilbert HOTTOIS, philosophy (Belgium); - Prof. Dietmar MIETH, theology, philosophy (Germany); - Prof. Egbert SCHROTEN, theology, philosophy (The Netherlands).