2005/383/EC: Commission Decision of 11 May 2005 on the renewal of the mandate of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies
Date: 2005-05-11
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: bio-ethics, consultancy, ethics, new technology, scientific research

20.5.2005

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 127/17

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 11 May 2005

on the renewal of the mandate of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies

(Only the French text is authentic)

(2005/383/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

principles and guidelines (COM(2002) 713), states that
‘open calls may be particularly appropriate when dealing
with sensitive issues and when groups are liable to stand
for a reasonable period of time’.

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

In November 1991, the European Commission decided
to incorporate ethics into the decision-making process
for Community research and technological development
policies by setting up the Group of Advisers on the
Ethical Implications of Biotechnology (GAEIB).

The Commission decided on 16 December 1997 to
replace the GAEIB by the European Group on Ethics in
Science and New Technologies
(EGE) extending the
Group’s mandate to cover all areas of the application
of science and technology.

The EGE’s mandate was renewed by the Commission
Decision of 26 March 2001 for a four-year period and
its remit was slightly modified to improve the Group’s
working methods.

The EGE requires new working methods in order to
respond to more rapid science and technology devel-
opments in a timely manner and requires new compe-
tences in order to address a greater range of science and
technology applications.

(6)

The current EGE remit comes to an end on 25 March
2005 and the following decision shall therefore replace
annexed to the Communication to the
the
Commission of 26 March 2001 (C(2001) 691),

remit

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Commission hereby decides to renew the mandate of the
European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies
(EGE) for a four-year period.

Article 2

Mission

The task of the EGE shall be to advise the Commission on
ethical questions relating to sciences and new technologies,
either at the request of the Commission or on its own initiative.
The Parliament and the Council may draw the Commission’s
attention to questions which they consider to be of major
importance. The Commission shall, when seeking the
ethical
opinion of the EGE, set a time limit within which such an
opinion shall be given.

Article 3

Composition — Nomination — Appointment

(5)

The Communication from the Commission on the
collection and use of expert advice by the Commission:

The EGE members are appointed by the President of the

1.
Commission.

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2.

The following rules will apply:

NGOs or representative organisations when appropriate for an
exchange of views. The agenda for the EGE meetings will be
distributed to relevant Commission services.

— Members are nominated ad personam. Members serve in a
personal capacity and are asked to advise the Commission
independently from any outside influence. The EGE shall be
independent, pluralist and multidisciplinary.

— The EGE shall have up to 15 members.

The EGE will normally meet at the Commission’s seat
4.
according to the modalities and the calendar fixed by the
Commission. The EGE should meet at least six times during a
12-month period involving around 12 working days a year.
Members are expected to attend a minimum of four meetings
a year.

— Each member of the EGE shall be appointed for a term of
four years. Such appointment may be renewable for a
maximum of two further terms.

For the purposes of preparing its opinions and within the

5.
limits of the available resources for this action, the EGE:

— Members who are no longer capable of contributing effi-
ciently to the work of the group, or who resign, may be
in accordance with
replaced by an alternative member,
Article 3(1), on the basis of a reserve list,
the
remaining duration of their mandate.

for

— The identification and selection of the EGE members will be
for expressions of
made on the basis of an open call
received through other
interest. Additional applications
channels will also be taken into consideration in the
selection procedure.

— may invite experts having a specific competence, to guide
and inform the work of the EGE if this is deemed useful
and/or necessary,

— may initiate studies in order to collect all necessary scientific

and technical information,

— may set up working groups to consider specific issues,

— The list of EGE members

shall be published by the

Commission in the Official Journal of the European Union.

— will organize a public round table in order to promote
dialogue and improve transparency for each opinion that
it produces,

Article 4

Functioning

— will establish close links with the Commission departments

involved in the topic the Group is working on,

The EGE members shall elect a chairperson and a vice-
1.
chairperson from among its members for the duration of the
term of office.

The EGE work programme shall be agreed by the
2.
President of
reviews
the Commission (including
suggested by the EGE under their right of self initiative — see
Article 2). The Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA) of
the Commission, acting in close cooperation with the EGE’s
chairperson, shall be responsible for organising the work of
the EGE and its Secretariat.

ethical

The EGE’s working sessions shall be private. Outside these
3.
working sessions the EGE may discuss its work with concerned
Commission departments and may invite representatives of

— may establish closer links with representatives of the various
ethics bodies in the European Union and in the applicant
countries.

Every opinion shall be published immediately after its
6.
adoption. Where an opinion is not adopted unanimously,
it
shall include any dissenting point of view. Where there is an
operational requirement for advice to be given more quickly on
a particular subject, short statements will be produced, to be
followed if necessary by a fuller analysis, while ensuring that
transparency is
for any other opinion. EGE
opinions always refer to the state of the art of the technology
at the time the opinion is issued. The EGE may decide to update
opinions if it deems it necessary.

respected as

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7.

The EGE shall adopt its own Rules of Procedure.

Article 6

Entry into force

A report on the EGE’s activities shall be produced under
8.
the responsibility of the chairperson before the end of its term
of office. The report shall be published.

The present decision will be published in the Official Journal of
the European Union and shall enter into force on the day of the
nomination of the new EGE members.

Article 5

Meeting expenses

Done at Brussels, 11 May 2005.

Travel and subsistence expenses for the meetings of the EGE
shall be covered by the Commission according to Commission
rules.

For the Commission

José Manuel BARROSO
The President