title: Regulation of healthcare ethics committees in Europe.
abstract: In this article, the question is discussed if and how Healthcare Ethics Committees (HECs) should be regulated. The paper consists of two parts. First, authors from eight EC member countries describe the status quo in their respective countries, and give reasons as to the form of regulation they consider most adequate. In the second part, the country reports are analysed. It is suggested that regulation of HECs should be central and weak. Central regulation is argued to be apt to improve HECs' accountability, relevance and comparability. To facilitate biomedical citizenship and ethical reflection, regulation should at the same time be weak rather than strict. Independence of HECs to deliberate about ethical questions, and to give solicited and unsolicited advice, should be supported and only interfered with by way of exception. One exception is when circumstances become temporary adversarial to ethical deliberation in healthcare institutions. In view of European unification, steps should be taken to develop consistent policies for both Eastern and Western European countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Philosophy, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Internal Post 137, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. n.steinkamp@efg.umc.nl
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Steinkamp
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gordijn
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borovecki
authors.forename: Eugenijus
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gefenas
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Glasa
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guerrier
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meulenbergs
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rózyńska
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slowther
mesh_terms: D017041:Ethics Committees / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005062:European Union; D006801:Humans; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D011050:Policy Making