In an aging European society, mental health is an increasing concern with strong economic and social impact. Brain disorders affect one in three Europeans and have an estimated cost of €800 billion a year. In order to help Europe to tackle the issue, COMECE publishes its reflexion and proposals. Back in 2008, the European Commission had launched the European Pact for mental health and well … Continue reading »

The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly voted against the adoption of a recommendation on ‘Children’s rights related to surrogacy’, based on a report by Petra De Sutter (Belgium, SOC). The report was recommending to draw up European guidelines to safeguard children’s rights in relation to surrogacy arrangements. Read the COMECE Opinion on ‘Gestational Surrogacy – The question of European and international rules’.

There is room for a public debate on palliative care across the EU, says COMECE in an Opinion published today. As European society gets older, an increasing number of elderly people require palliative care. The European Commission is currently working on a European framework on Palliative Care. In order to contribute to the discussion around this new Framework, the COMECE Working Group on Ethics in … Continue reading »

As European society gets older, an increasing number of elderly people require palliative care. The COMECE Working Group on Ethics in Research and Healthcare has produced an Opinion on the subject of palliative care, which will be launched on the occasion of this luncheon debate. Set in the context of on-going discussion at EU level, both within the EU institutions and in wider society, the … Continue reading »

The COMECE Working Group on Ethics in Research and Medicine publishes an Opinion on Synthetic Biology. Synthetic Biology involves the engineering of biological components and systems that do not exist in nature and the re-engineering of existing biological elements. Synthetic Biology could soon have multiple industrial applications in the domains of health, energy, materials, environment and agriculture. This new technology therefore raises great expectations and … Continue reading »

Today the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2014 and the European Union’s Policy in its regard came before the Plenary of the European Parliament for a vote. There is much in the report which those who are committed to fundamental rights and values can only welcome: this is illustrated by the fact that the report clearly calls for the abolition … Continue reading »