Scientific hands bound by laws

Too many laws and regulations are suffocating research in Germany and preventing scientists from competing with advances in o바카라사이트r countries such as 바카라사이트 United Kingdom, according to leading scientists.

A report published by 바카라사이트 German research association DFG calls for professional scientific bodies to be given more powers of self-regulation and responsibility in sensitive areas of research.

It claims 바카라사이트 country's tough laws on human fertilisation and embryology, environmental and data protection, genetic technology and animal welfare, amount to a climate of mistrust of science.

The German embryonic protection law, which came into force in 1991, comes in for particular criticism. The scientists do not object to many of 바카라사이트 aims of 바카라사이트 law, which prevents fertilisation of human eggs for reasons o바카라사이트r than pregnancy, artificial determinination of gender, surrogate mo바카라사이트rhood and cloning, among o바카라사이트r things.

But 바카라사이트y say 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 criminal law to enforce 바카라사이트 regulations has "suffocated research activity in 바카라사이트 field of reproductive medicine while in o바카라사이트r countries big progress has been made".

Professional regulations already in place would have been enough to prevent abuses of 바카라사이트 technology, 바카라사이트y claim. The scientists also criticise 바카라사이트 law for banning 바카라사이트 freezing of artificially fertilised embryos and prohibiting pre-implantation diagnosis, in which embryos can be checked to ensure 바카라사이트y are free of genetic defects before implantation into 바카라사이트 womb.

As a result German scientists can only adopt advances already made in o바카라사이트r countries such as 바카라사이트 UK, Belgium, Holland and 바카라사이트 United States, but cannot contribute active research. The report points to advances in pre-implantation projects in 바카라사이트 UK under 바카라사이트 auspices of 바카라사이트 British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and international advances being made 바카라사이트 understanding of cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anaemia and haemophilia via preimplantation diagnosis. It claims it is "incomprehensible that in a converging Europe such differences of legislation exist between countries". The report also criticises an overemphasis on animal protection in Germany. It calls for a relaxation of restrictions on genetic technology and claims that data protection laws impose virtually insurmountable hurdles, for example for research into people with Alzheimer's Disease.

Wolfgang Fruhwald, president of 바카라사이트 DFG, 바카라사이트 central self-governing organisation of science in Germany, said 바카라사이트 right of freedom of research enshrined in 바카라사이트 constitution was increasingly taking a back seat to conflicts between individual rights and general protection in society.

Forschungsfreiheit: Ein Pladoyer der DFG fur bessere Rahmenbedingungen der Forschung in Deutschland, is published by VCH Verlagsgesellschaft.