Council of Europe

Developments in biology and medicine have been and continue to be an important source of progress for human health and quality of life. However, these developments raise also concerns with regard to the protection of human dignity and fundamental rights and freedoms.

Council of Europe The objective of the Council of Europe ( is - in line with its Statute ^[1] - to protect the individual’s dignity and fundamental rights with regard to the applications of biology and medicine.

Committee on Bioethics ^[2] To that end, through the Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO) the CoE works at defining principles and establishing legal standards which would be applicable in its members states. The DH-BIO is composed of:

• Representatives of 47 member states of the CoE

• The Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE which has been behind many of the Organisation's major initiatives

• International organisations active in the field of bioethics - in particular the European Union, OECD, the WHO and UNESCO

• Non-member states such as Australia, Israel, Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.

Experts While science and technologies evolve constantly, they also require permanent rethinking of the issues they raise as well as reactivity to those issues. Over the years the CoE has developed a network of experts composed of scientists, medical doctors, lawyers and philosophers.

Legal instruments

Oviedo Convention In this context, a substantial set of legal instruments has already been adopted and serves as a reference point in the field of bioethics at international level. The Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (the Oviedo Convention), the first international legally binding instrument in that field, provides a framework for the protection of human rights and human dignity by establishing fundamental principles applicable to daily medicine as well as to new technologies in the fields of biology and medicine. Additional protocols to the Convention develop these principles in greater detail in specific fields such as cloning, transplantation of organs and tissues of human origin, biomedical research and genetic testing for health purposes.

A Symposium on Biobanks and Biomedical Collections - An ethical framework for future research, organised by the Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO), was held on 19-20 June 2012 in Strasbourg, France.

The objective of this Symposium was to provide a basis for the re-examination of the Council of Europe Recommendation (2006)4 on research on biological materials of human origin.

To that end, the Symposium examined the developments in biobanking and research on biological materials of human origin, that have taken place since the adoption of the Recommendation and considered their possible evolution, in order to assess the challenges they may raise with respect to the ethical and legal principles enshrined in the Recommendation.

Recommendation (2006)4
Explanatory memorandum
Report of the European Commission Expert Group on biobanks
Programme
Chairs and speakers: Biographical notes
The Speakers: Abstracts
Conclusions to the Symposium
List of participants
Broadcast of the Symposium
Press review

Predictivity and genetic testing The DH-BIO is currently focusing its work on predictivity and genetic testing in the field of insurance with a view to elaborating a new legal instrument.

Ethics of biomedical research The CoE is currently cooperating with Spanish authorities for the organisation of a Ministerial Conference on Ethics of Biomedical Research in countries with emerging or developing economy.

Medical treatment in end of life situations A Symposium on decision-making process regarding medical treatment in end-of-life situations was held on 30 November – 1 December 2010. It was attended by about 150 professionals from all relevant disciplines (medical doctors, nurses, carers, lawyers, philosophers, etc.) as well as representatives of patients. The objective was to clarify certain concepts and identify points of convergence and possible divergences, on issues related to decision making process concerning medical treatment in end of life situation. The conclusions of the Symposium by its general rapporteur Dr Regis Aubry (France), and co-rapporteurs Dr Beatrice Ioan (Romania) and Dr Takis Vidalis (Greece) will be presented to the Steering Committee on Bioethics (CDBI) in June 2011 and could be used as a basis for possible guidelines in this field. Watch the Symposium ^[3]

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^[1] Article 1 of the Statute of the Council of Europe stipulates that "The aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress" . To that end, the Council of Europe seeks to develop throughout Europe common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals.
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^[2] On 1 January 2012, following the reorganisation of intergovernmental bodies at the Council of Europe, the Committee
on Bioethics (DH-BIO) has taken over the responsibilities of the Steering Committee on Bioethics (CDBI) for the tasks
assigned by the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine as well as for the intergovernmental work on the
protection of human rights in the field of biomedicine. The reorganisation results also in creating a closer link
between the DH-BIO and the Steering Committee on Human Rights (CDDH).
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^[3] The interpretation of the seminars, conferences and other events serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of the proceedings. Only the original speech is authentic. No liability shall be incurred by the interpreter in the exercise of his/her function