Ethical Eye - Biomedical research (2004)

What are the rules and underlying values governing biomedical research in Europe? What form do these values take and where do they originate? Does biomedical research pose a threat to individuals and their rights? What balance should be struck between freedom of research and protection of the individual? All these questions are examined in this book from a pan-European perspective.The authors look at various international and European standards, including the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association, EU Directive 2001/20 on pharmaceutical research and the Council of Europe's Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. The last named was signed in Oviedo in 1997 and is the first binding international treaty on the subject, with a special chapter on scientific research on human beings. The Convention establishes a common minimum level of protection of fundamental rights throughout Europe. It will soon be supplemented by an additional protocol specifically concerned with biomedical research.The book contains a glossary and a list of relevant international conventions and treaties, web sites and publications. It is aimed at both specialists and a wider public interested in this subject.