BABAS: Bioethical aspects of biotechnology in the agrofood sector

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 96.0154a

Key words (English)

Biotechnology; ethics; genetics; plants; crops; agriculture

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: FAIR-CT97-1848

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 4.3 Biomedical/Health research

Short description (English)

See abstract

Abstract (English)

In 1999 the EU Commission and the Council of Europe are planning to hold a conference on ethical aspects of biotechnology in non-medical applications. The conference has now been scheduled for May 16 to 19 in Oviedo, Spain. For the preparation of this conference a set of documents is required which
put together the scientific basis of the issues to be discussed. The concerted action 'BABAS' has had the task of assembling the relevant documentation and laying the groundwork for the issues to be debated. It may be added that the success of such a conference depends to a great deal on the quality of the preparatory work. The BABAS group has been split up into several working parties, each treating a certain aspect:
- food
- industry
- medecine (excluding human haealth)
- environment
- developing countries
- horizotal issues (patenting, ethics, legislation etc.)
The situation is now such that each group has written a report, which has been circulated among the group members and has come back for comment. These reports have been assembled into a single document which has circulated a second time, this time amongst all members of BABAS. The co-ordinator, Dr. David Bennett (The Hague, NL) has taken together all comments and is the last phase of writing the final text. He has added a brief introduction, which is enclosed here.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 96.0154a