14 February 1997       Doc. 7764

ADOC7764

MOTION FOR A RECOMMENDATION

on further procedure concerning the Convention on Human Rights and

Biomedicine and its protocols

presented by Mr SCHWIMMER and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.       The Assembly expresses its disappointment that the Committee of Ministers has excluded the Assembly from any further exchange of views or contribution to amendments and additional protocols of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine when it did not take into account the proposed amendment made in paragraph 6.x. of Opinion No. 198 (1996) in the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, which it adopted at its 578th meeting (18-21 November 1996).

2.       The Assembly also notes with concern that the Committee of Ministers did not draw up a provision in the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine about communicating the results of genetic testing outside the health field, yet this issue will, in the future, be a matter of great concern in social and business life.

3.       Therefore, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

i.       request the Steering Committee on Bioethics (CDBI) to work out an additional protocol on communicating results of genetic testing outside the health field, referring to the proposals made by the Assembly in Opinion No. 198 (1996);

ii.       transmit any proposed or adopted text of amendments to the Convention and of all additional protocols, before approval, to the Parliamentary Assembly for opinion.

Signed: 1

Schwimmer, Austria, EPP

Antretter, Germany, SOC

Berg, Norway, EDG

Bribosia-Picard, Belgium, EPP

Büchel, Liechtenstein, EPP

Bühler, Germany, EPP

Columberg, Switzerland, EPP

Figel, Slovakia, EPP

Frunda, Romania, EPP

Hoeffel, France, EPP

Kelemen, Hungary, EPP

Lentz-Cornette, Luxembourg, EPP

Lukáś, Czech Republic, EPP

Pollo, Albania, EPP

Probst, Germany, EPP

Prokes, Slovakia, EPP

Pulgar, Spain, EPP

Ragnarsdóttir, Iceland, EDG

Roseta, Portugal, EPP

Raskinis, Lithuania, EPP

Schloten, Germany, SOC

Schreiner, France, EDG

Seitlinger, France, EPP

Spahia, Albania, EPP

Weyts, Belgium, EPP

1 ¹       SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP: Group of the European People's Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR: Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: Not registered