Brussels, 25/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission nominated the twelve members of the European Group on Ethics in Sciences and New Technologies (EGE), with a still timid enhancement of its mandate, which nevertheless rose from three to four years.
Other than the duration of the mandate, the Commission decided to confirm the opening of the Group towards other Community institutions by stipulating that "the Parliament and the Council may draw the Commission's attention to issues they consider as presenting a major interest on the ethical level". It reaffirms the independent, multidisciplinary (the formation assures a balanced representation of the spheres of law, sciences and human sciences) and pluralist character of the EGE. The Commission also recognises the EGE's ability to call upon experts (with a freedom to choose experts, including from outside the EU), to organise hearings and to network, notably with the national ethics committees within the EU. This possibility should also translate into increased financial means.
Among the twelve members of the new group, we find five people who where part of the previous one: - Noelle Lenoir (genetic law, France), - Stefano Rodota (data protection, Italy), - Anne McLaren (genetics, United Kingdom), - Peter Whittaker (biotechnology, Ireland), - Goran hermeren (philosophy of sciences, Sweden). The seven new members are: - Linda Nielsen (law and biology, Denmark), - Spiros Simitis (IT law, Greece), - Yvon Englert (medicine, Belgium), - Father Puigdomenech Rosell (agricultural biotechnology, Spain), - Ines de Beaufort (theology and biomedical ethics, Netherlands), - Rafael Capurro (philosophy, Germany), - Ginther Virt (moral theology, Austria).
Noelle Lenoir, who chaired the group whose mandate ended at the end of last year, welcomed the modifications made by the European Commission. In it she sees the fruit of the interest shown by President Prodi for the group's works and recognition that opens the way to other advances in the future, to further ensure the remains Group an independent body in its own right.