No future without ethics

Horizon 2020 is the research and innovation program for the period 2014-2020, with an 87 billion euro budget and three priorities: to boost scientific excellence in Europe,; to make Europe more attractive for industrial investment in research and innovation; to highlight areas such as individual health and psycophysical wellbeing that impact social realms. Presented on November 11 2011 the proposal underwent public consultation. The final draft will undergo parliamentary voting next fall. As regards this articulated package of proposals, the Secretariat of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community on Friday 14 presented a document containing objections to the ethical aspects of the document, titled "Position paper on some ethical aspects of Horizon 2020" (available in English on the website www.comece.eu).Updating the Programme to meet consolidated ethical principles. "The Secretariat considers it possible, advisable and required to ameliorate the Proposals for Horizon 2020 in the context of the on-going legislative procedure", the document states. It "expects that the recent legal and scientific developments – as well as the fundamental ethical rules and basic policy options as noted above – will be taken into consideration and be clearly reflected in the instruments of Horizon 2020 when it is finally adopted. These are the inspiring ideas behind the COMECE document, indeed, "the ethical aspects of Horizon 2020 are at the very heart of the COMECE Secretariat’s analysis and assessment of the Programme". With the purpose of adapting Horizon 2020 to the present legislative framework, a series of remarks are made on articles of the program regarding issues such as cloning of human genome, which fail to acknowledge legal stances that have become consolidated at ethical level. For example, the document states, "Article 16 of the Proposal for the Regulation in question indicates some of the ethical principles and fundamental rights which shall prevail in the context of Horizon 2020. Nonetheless two of the most important principles applicable in this field are missing: protection of human dignity, and the principle of primacy of the human being, putting the interests and welfare of the human being before that of society or science". Research on human embryos. "The Secretariat of COMECE, however, is particularly concerned by one major omission: the commitments already undertaken by the European Commission in its Statement in 2006 that the Commission "will not submit to the Regulatory Committee proposals for projects which include research activities which destroy human embryos, including for the procurement of stem cells. This means that "the proposed instruments present an ethical framework which is in fact weaker than the one which is applicable under the current research programme (2007-2013)". Thus, if the EU legal order is to be consistent and internally coherent, any projects involving the use of hESC in steps subsequent to their derivation should also be excluded from funding". On this point, in a paper annexed to Horizon 2020 the Secretariat listed 18 legal, political, scientific and economic reasons in favour of EU research policies that prioritize support to research on alternative stem cells, rather than funding to embryo stem cell research. 18 arguments against human embryo stem cell research. Political and legal arguments: the lack of consensus between member states triggers problems that could be overcome by funding research on adult, non-human stem cells. The respect for cultural diversity, subsidiarity, in conformity with EU legislation are among the arguments advanced by the COMECE Segretariat in support of research lacking serious ethical consequences such as those on embryo stem cells. Scientific reasons. Over the past years here have been continuing scientific advances in fields of research involving alternative stem cells (adult, derived from umbilical cord or induced pluripotent) which present better prospects for clinical applications , …). Economic reasons. Funding research projects on "alternative stem cells" would carry benefit and advantages, including those envisaged by the Horizon 2020 program of promoting innovative enterprises and industries.