Ethical Issues

The proposed support action does not raise sensitive ethical questions. No national or international regulations have to be taken into consideration. It does not affect human health or integrity of personality. It makes no use of animals or biological samples. It has no relation to genetic information or reproductive medicine. It has no military applications. It does not make use of radioactive or toxic substances.

The proposed support action does not include the implementation of project results as policy. It remains on the level of providing policy options and possible pathways of implementation. Therefore, there are no ethical issues related to implementation of project results. If, in some cases, meetings are recorded on tape, participants will be asked for consent to do so, and no participant will be quoted without asking permission and names will not be used to safeguard the privacy of the participants.

The consortium realises that the proposed support action rests on the support of the inhabitants of the EU and of the partner countries, and that providing information and opportunities for ongoing public discourse of relevant issues is vital. The proposed support action will therefore devote a considerable fraction of its budget to the involvement of the EU Commission and stakeholders of the EU and partner countries, and it will also communicate its performance and results to the wider public. User-friendly versions of best available communication technology will be used, particularly through the internet and target group-oriented publications. Opportunities for interaction through workshops in several countries and through international conferences will be created (see work programme).