News on ethics in medicine and biotechnology: February 2005Greek experts join forces to make demand for national center on genetically modified productsUnited. Tasos Kourakis, Dimitris Kouretas, Leonidas Louloudis, Antonis Manitakis, and Giorgos Balias propose a system of ‘truly objective’ responsibility for damage to conventional or organically grown crops from GMOs. 24 February 2005, checkbiotech.org (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Goodlatte asks EU to dismantle biotech barriersChairman Bob Goodlatte met with several European Members of Parliament, government officials, and industry leaders this week regarding biotechnology and trade barriers to U.S. agriculture exports to the European Union. 22 February 2005, Checkbiotech.org (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Adult stem cells get even better at treating spinal cord injuryResearchers in Sweden have become the latest scientists to demonstrate that adult stem cells improve recovery in cases of spinal cord injury. 20 February 2005, Corethics.org (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Metz Court of Appeal Rejects Foetal Manslaughter ChargeThe Metz Court of Appeal has rejected a charge of foetal manslaughter in the case where a pregnant woman's baby died as a result of a road accident. 18 February 2005, Genethique News (quoted from Le Monde et al., France) (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) GM dispute panel meets in GenevaWith the countdown extended, talks continue this week in Geneva between the US and Brussels to move the entrenched trade dispute on genetically modified organisms forward. 18 February 2005, Checkbiotech.org (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Decree Signed on Importing Human Embryonic Stem CellsOn Wednesday, 16 February, Philippe Douste-Blazy, French Minister of Health, and François d'Aubert, Minister of Research, signed decrees authorising human embryonic stem cells to be imported for research purposes. 18 February 2005, Genethique News (quoted from Le Monde and Le Figaro,
France) (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Divided UN Panel Opposes All Forms of Human CloningA deeply divided U.N. General Assembly committee adopted a nonbinding statement on Friday calling on governments to prohibit all forms of human cloning, including techniques used in research on human stem cells. 18 February 2005, Reuters Also see: (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Precaution principle doesn't stop testsHealth Minister Girolamo Sirchia doesn't like a limited type of information, and asks for more respect and wide ranging information regarding genetically modified organisms (GMO). 16 February 2005, Checkbiotech.org (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Syngenta releases important plant disease genome data for public useSyngenta announced today the donation of important genetic information on Phytophthora infestans or Potato Late Blight, one of the most devastating plant diseases in global agriculture, to an international scientific gene database. 15 February 2005, Checkbiotech.org (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) 20 Regions in Europe Take Stance Against BrusselsOn 4 February in Florence (Italy), the representatives of twenty regions in the European Union signed a "Charter of the Regions and Local Authorities of Europe on the Subject of the Coexistence of Genetically Modified Crops with Traditional and Organic Farming". Five French regions signed this charter: Aquitaine, Brittany, Ile de France, Limousin and Poitou Charentes. 15 February 2005, Genethique News (quoted from Le Monde) (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Frozen embryo case goes to EuropeA woman left infertile after cancer treatment has taken her fight to use frozen IVF embryos to have a baby to the European Court of Human Rights. 14 February 2005, BBC Online News (UK) Also see: (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Genetically Modified Potato Carries Hep B VaccineDiscovery an alternative to inconvenient injections in developing world, researchers say. 14 February 2005, Checkbiotech.org (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) No date set for biotech rapeseed approval-EUThe European Commission has not set a date to decide on authorising imports of genetically modified rapeseed, though it could take place in March, an official said on Thursday 10 February 2005, Reuters (UK) (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Call for £100m UK stem cell fundLeading UK scientists and entrepreneurs are calling for the creation of a charitable foundation to promote and fund stem cell research in Britain. 8 February 2005, BBC News Online (UK) Also see: (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Dolly expert is to clone embryosThe creator of Dolly the sheep has been granted a licence to clone human embryos for medical research. 8 February 2005, BBC News Online (UK) Also see: (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) Smith & Nephew explores stem cell bone repairThe UK's largest medical device firm, Smith & Nephew, has begun a research programme into using stem cells to help to repair muscle and bone damage. 7 February 2005, The Guardian (UK) (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) We won't sell it - Majority of EU retailers say no to GEWhat do the major European food retailers and producers think about genetically engineered (GE) food? In a new Greenpeace report, we asked them. Of the 60 top companies we contacted, 49 of them won't use GE in their own brands, and they've gone on record saying so. 3 February 2005, Greenpeace News (Submitted by SIBLE, UK) EU funds medical ethics network in AfricaA new initiative aimed at fostering medical research ethics committees in Africa was launched in Paris on 27 February. 2 February 2005, CORDIS News (Submitted by SIBLE, UK)
|
Please send us related European news items by writing to eureth.net@sheffield.ac.ukNews Archive
Other News Sources on Ethics in medicine & biotechnology:
...if you would like to add a news source, please email eureth.net@sheffield.ac.uk |
