Workshop 3: Ethical Aspects of Stem Cell Research in Europe
19-20 April 2007, Berlin

Download full workshop report (PDF, 660kb)

Introduction
How should we develop, interpret and select criteria for ethically acceptable clinical applications of stem cell research?
What are the ethical and regulatory issues relevant to the derivation and use of human embryonic stem cells?

These challenging questions were explored during the 'Ethical Aspects of Stem Cell Research in Europe' workshop. The workshop was organised by two EU-funded Integrated Projects, EuroStemCell (co-ordinated by Austin Smith, Cambridge) and ESTOOLS (co-ordinated by Peter Andrews, Sheffield).

Workshop themes
(1) The roadmap to the clinic

• Regulatory Background
• Scientific State of the Art
• Intellectual Property Protection
• Commercialization

• Scientific State of the Art
• Ethical and Societal Aspects
• Council of Europe Perspectives

Participants
Over 100 participants attended this workshop. Like the invited speakers, they
represented the spectrum of communities interested in or concerned by the ethical societal and regulatory issues raised by the clinical application of stem cell research, and in particular the derivation and use of human embryonic stem cells. Participants included scientists working in the area of stem cell research, lawyers, ethicists, philosophers, as well as the representatives of patients’ organizations and of the European Commission.