Bioethics
Over the next decade life-changing biotechnologies will emerge, with potentially significant impact on European society. Increasingly, issues relating to biotechnology and ethics are being taken up by the European Institutions and by the Council of Europe. CEC monitors and contributes to this work.
Our work in this area seeks to increase cooperation with churches and church organisations, including ethics committees, universities, research centres, and academics. Read below our statements:
- Thematic Reference Group on Bioethics statement on alleged genome editing in China, 2019.
- CEC Response to Draft Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI
Moral and Ethical Issues in Human Genome Editing (2019)
A Statement of the CEC Bioethics Thematic Reference Group, published in partnership with Globethics.net
Recent reports of a Chinese scientist who claims to have applied genome editing techniques to human embryos, which were subsequently implanted and resulted in the birth of live babies, means that the question of whether—and how—these techniques should be used in humans demands an urgent answer. This in-depth report takes a wider perspective on the issue, which concerns all people as individuals and collectively as a society. It challenges the alleged achievement in China as being profoundly unethical, reflecting a disregard for the ethical and professional concerns of the international scientific community.
Order print copies from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.fr | Amazon.de
For more information about our work in this area, please contact Rev. Sören Lenz.
Related posts
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26 Nov, 2019
CEC at 16th Steering Committee on Bioethics in Strasbourg
CEC participated in the meeting of the 16th Steering Committee on Bioethics, an intergovernmental working group of the Council of Europe, held in Strasbourg.
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10 Jul, 2019
CEC Annual Report 2018: You Shall be my Witnesses
CEC Annual Report 2018 titled "You Shall be my Witnesses" is now available online in English, French, German and Russian. The report records highlights from CEC activities in 2018.
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11 Jun, 2019
CEC participates in Council of Europe public debate on biomedicine and human rights
A high-level seminar on public debate was recently organised by the Committee on Bioethics of the Council of Europe.
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7 May, 2019
New publication: Moral and Ethical Issues in Human Genome Editing
A statement of the CEC Bioethics Thematic Reference Group, published in partnership with Globethics.net titled "Moral and Ethical Issues in Human Genome Editing" is now available online.
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12 Feb, 2019
CEC response to Draft Ethics guidelines for Trustworthy AI
The Conference of European Churches has issued a response to Draft Ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI, a working document for stakeholder’s consultation by the European Commission’s High-level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI HLEG).
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8 Mar, 2018
Manipulation génétique : les humains se prennent-ils pour Dieu ?
À travers la manipulation génétique, les humains se prennent-ils pour Dieu ? Dans quelles conditions la manipulation génétique peut-elle et doit-elle être autorisée, tant moralement que légalement ?
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7 Mar, 2018
Редактирование генома: человеческие игры в Бога?
Является ли редактирование генома своеобразной игрой людей в Бога? При соблюдении каких условий редактирование генома является нравственно приемлемым и допустимым и даже должно быть обязательным по закону?
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28 Feb, 2018
Gene-editing: Humans playing God?
Questions related to gene-editing were explored in depth by by scientists, theologians and philosophers in a conference in Paris.
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11 Jan, 2018
Event: Gene-editing conference in Paris
Gene-editing is one of the most important and controversial topics in modern bioethics. What are its implications for our understanding of what it means to be human?
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8 Jan, 2018
Rev. Sören Lenz to represent CEC Strasbourg office
CEC has appointed Rev. Sören Lenz its new executive secretary to represent CEC’s office in Strasbourg. He will be responsible for CEC’s work in the field of bio-ethics, human rights and engagement with European Institutions.

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