General activity report 2011-2016 on the activities of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies

Societal, ethical considerations are gaining more and more prominence on the European political agenda, in pace with technological transformations. The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) is an independent body appointed by the President of the European Commission to provide advice on all aspects of Commission policies and legislation where ethical, societal and fundamental rights dimensions intersect with the development of science and new technologies. During its 2011-2016 mandate, the EGE adopted four extended opinions: on information and communication technologies; on energy; on security and surveillance; and on new health technologies and citizen participation. In addition, three statements were produced by the EGE: on clinical trials; on research integrity; and on gene editing. This report describes the main activities of the group in the course of its 2011-2016 mandate, the context of increasing demand for a broadened ethical expertise, the variety of domains and stakeholders engaged in the development of these ethical frameworks, as well as a set of forward-looking perspectives.