EU experts on the ethical aspects of biotechnology this week proposed strict rules

Date: 23/07/1998

on the medical use of human organs and tissues to prevent the spread of AIDS and other communicable diseases. The European Commission's bioethics advisory group set out guidelines on hygiene and donor privacy, and recommended setting up a monitoring body to check and evaluate the use of human tissue.

The group found that while blood transfusions and organ transplants are tightly regulated, “there is a void concerning the use of human tissue”. More than 1 million patients in the EU receive human tissue every year.