title: The concealed and the revealed: bioethical issues in Europe at the end of the second millenium.
abstract: Bioethical debate in Europe is partly a reaction to political endeavors and events. In line with the political goal of a united Europe, a European regulation is being sought for medical research and medical ethics ('Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine'). A certain degree of ambivalence has come to the fore: whilst it does seem possible to reach a consensus (albeit a merely 'diplomatic' consensus) about complicated bioethical issues at an international level when certain controversial matters are excluded or a certain vagueness maintained, new principles are also required at a national level, for example when the medical profession of one state feels obliged to assume a 'local' stance, such as in the sensitive issue of termination of treatment. The individual contributions to this publication, together with various other current fields of bioethical conflict in Europe--especially Germany--are introduced below against a common background, namely that the original dividing line between the concealed and the revealed has shifted.
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Ethics at the St. Markus-Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany. ZEMmarkus@aol.com
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal; D001675:Bioethics; D002102:Cadaver; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D005060:Europe; D005065:Euthanasia; D006801:Humans; D015735:Mifepristone; D010969:Plastics; D012106:Research
chemical_list: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal; D010969:Plastics; D015735:Mifepristone