01/03/2012
Collection of opinions prepared by the COMECE Bioethics Discussion Group – Science and Ethics – Volume 2 (EN)
The Catholic Church in the European Union
Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union
Human embryonic stem cell research is no longer patentable in the EU, it is ethically problematic and therefore is not a consensual research field among Member States and EU citizens. Moreover, it offers less and less clinical promise. COMECE therefore calls on the EU to exclude human embryonic stem cell research from its upcoming research funding programme Horizon 2020 and to focus instead on the … Continue reading
COMECE welcomes the Judgement of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). In the Case Oliver Brüstle v Greenpeace, the ECJ, in a preliminary ruling, decided that destructive research on human embryo cannot be patented. In this context, the ECJ had to give a clear legal interpretation of the concept of “human embryo”. This concept remained not defined in Directive 98/44/EC. The Court now defines a … Continue reading
On November 5th the Secretariat of COMECE will present a further contribution for a family strategy on the EU level. The document ‘Proposal for a Strategy of the European Union for the Support of Couples and Marriage’ draws attention to challenges for families in Europe. It suggests political initiatives (labour law, tax policy, housing policy, etc.) through which European institutions can support families. Stable couples … Continue reading