Core ethical values for European bioindustries

A number of recent scientific advances based on biotechnology have underscored ethical concerns in Europe relating to a wide range of biomedical and agricultural issues. These include cloning, gene patenting, informed consent, privacy and the use of medical information for nonmedical purposes, embryo research and the use and ownership of human tissues, as well as biodiversity, novel food safety, and the sustainability of industrial agriculture. These issues also often inspire a divergence of opinion between the Western world and developing countries, which have significantly different food and medical needs.