Presentation

The Forum of the National Ethics Councils (NEC Forum) is a network of experts established for the exchange of information, experience and best practices on issues of a common interest within the field of ethics and science.

The NEC Forum organises meetings in the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The meetings are organised by the ethics national Council and the Ethics and Research Integrity Sector, DG Research and Innovation, the European Commission.

The NEC Forum draws together the representatives of the EU Member States, and the Associated Countries to the Research Framework Programme, the members of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE), the representatives of the Council of Europe (CoE), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

To enrich the work of the network and to build awareness of the European ethics standards and legislation we also invite participants from Neighbouring Countries of the EU and other non-EU countries.

The 32nd NEC Forum co-organised by the Spanish Bioethics Committee under auspices of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union will take place in Madrid, Spain on 27-28 November 2023.

The Program, prepared in consultation with national ethics councils includes the following topics: Challenges for Ethics in “End of Life” Decisions; Challenges for Ethics in Health Inequalities and The Societal Consequences of Artificial Intelligence - Beyond Ethics Review.

There are also planned four parallel workshops related to: Ethical Aspects of the Climate Change and Degradation of the Environment; Inequality Scenarios: Migration and Gender; One Health and Privacy and Identity.