Abstract
EU-competencies in “red” biotechnology are rather limited since health policy and the regulation of ethical issues of medicine and human reproduction is mainly a national domain. Nevertheless, embryo- and human embryonic stem (hES) cell research became an extremely controversial issue within and among the EU institutions in the context of research policy and the Sixth Framework Programme. Faced with disagreement between the European institutions and learning a lesson from the controversy about genetically modified food and the BSE crisis, the Commission used a remarkably participatory language in dealing with hES cell research. However, how did European institutions actually deal with the “ethical” problem of hES cell research and what was the role of participation in this decision-making process?
Among the dilemmas frequently encountered by ethics, there is that born of the confrontation between freedom of research and freedom to conduct business on the one hand, and the respect due to human life on the other (EGE 2001: 11, emphasis added).
Europe is currently at a crossroads: we need to actively develop responsible policies in a forward-looking and global perspective, or we will be confronted by policies shaped by others, in Europe and globally. The technology and its applications are developing rapidly – the Commission believes that Europe’s policy is, therefore, not whether but how to deal with the challenges posed by the new knowledge and its applications (European Commission 2002a: 9, emphasis added).
The Commission proposes a strategy that responds with responsible, science-based, and people-centered policies on an ethical basis (European Commission 2002a: 10, emphasis added).
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Notes
- 1.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/conferences/2003/bioethics/index_en.html (download 2007-01-21).
- 2.
The Forum of Presidents of National Ethics Councils is yet another example how the Commission tries to tackle the difficult issue of ethics by taking a top-level expert approach. The Forum consists of the chairpersons and secretaries of the National Ethics Councils and is to promote harmonisation and benchmarking by open co-ordination: “It is an independent informal platform for exchange of information, experience and best practices on issues of common interest in the field of ethics and science. The NEC Forum follows the method of ‘open co-ordination’ and its meetings are always hosted by one of the National Ethics Councils. The Commission (Directorate-General for Research) reimburses the travel and subsistence costs of one representative per National Ethics Council. The NEC hosts the meeting while DG Research provides the secretariat. The President of EGE and the President of the COMETH (Council of Europe) Bureau are invited to the meetings. The Forum network is developing an important role in exchanging good practices between Member States” (http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/page_en.cfm?id=3161) The Forum was created in the context of the EU’s Science and Society Programme (Commission of the European Communities 2004: 20). Between 2003 and 2006 it met eight times in different Member States and at these meetings it is often received by top politicians. Stem cell research was an issue several times (current therapeutic possibilities of adult and embryonic stem cells 5th Meeting: 2). Supported by the Commission, the Forum might contribute to the establishment of a particular epistemic community and expert network on bio-ethics in Europe.
- 3.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/life-sciences/egls/index_en.html (download 2007-12-10).
- 4.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/quality-of-life/stemcells.html (download 2007-12-10).
- 5.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp6/index_en.cfm?p=1_stem_dialogue (download 2007-12-10).
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Acknowledgements
This paper is based on research for the project “Participatory Governance and Institutional Innovation” (PAGANINI), funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme (Contract No. 505791). I would like to thank the Commission for funding and my PAGANINI colleagues for our fruitful discussions throughout the project. In particular, I want to thank Herbert Gottweis for granting me access to interviews he conducted with two civil servants, officials of the European Commission and of the Austrian government, on European HESC policy; I am also grateful to Peter Biegelbauer for his encouraging and practical comments and Silvia Plaza for her help in language editing.
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Griessler, E. (2012). Citizen Participation in Controversial EU Research Policies? The Debate on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Within the 6th Framework Programme. In: Robbins, P., Huzair, F. (eds) Exploring Central and Eastern Europe’s Biotechnology Landscape. The International Library of Ethics, Law and Technology, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9784-2_3
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