Reawakening "interest in bioethical issues" and promoting "a climate that furthers dialogue between the Church and the political, scientific and economic worlds": this is the purpose of the publication of "Scienza ed etica", that was announced today by the secretariat of the Commission of the EU Bishops Conferences (Comece). The text, in English and French, collects 16 opinions given over the last 12 months by the Bioethical Reflection Group of Comece. From the "ethical aspects of organ donation" to the "ethical-anthropological issues raised by the creation of man-animal hybrid organisms", states a release published today; to the "issues raised by nano-medicine and the patentability of human stem cells". Issues also include death wills, euthanasia, gene tests, biomedical research in developing countries, cloning and embryo research, and embryo stem cell research. "Bioethical issues are playing a more and more important role in the different spheres of European politics", states Comece secretariat, mentioning for instance the European Directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions (the patent right directive), which is being examined by the European Patent Office. (continued)
