Project vision

The ETHICAL vision is an international consensus on the ethical use of personal data as a basic human right in the information society.

The ETHICAL mission is to be an effective mechanism for societal partners’ engagement in enhancing the debate on ethical implications of data collection, use and retention in medical and biometric applications, in order to create a consensus and a roadmap towards a secure environment and simultaneously no compromise in human rights respect.

Project objectives

The value of privacy that is reflected in the protection of data is crucial in the area of biometric and health applications. Today’s networked environment changes the landscape and the very essence of privacy is transformed. Whilst innovative information and communication services are constantly improving people’s lives and generating growth throughout the global economy, they also create new risks. The critical issue of protecting personal data is becoming more crucial. Personal data processed over distributed networks poses the threat of misuse. How technology can assist in the protection of integrity and privacy of this shared data is a critical question.

Project's approach

The project will begin with the identification of potential implications of data collection, use and retention in medical and biometric applications. The consortium will examine the relationship between government and industry collaborations that will lead to a guide of requirements and prerequisites in biometric and medical applications’ implementation. By gathering and studying the international important issues of data misuse and their legal confrontation, through the support of project management and ETHICAL Cooperative Information Platform, a set of policy recommendations and the development of a code of ethics for FP7 researchers will be articulated.

Project's aim

The project’s objectives running under “Better understanding of the place of science and technology in Society”, for the period 2007-2013, are to address the relationship between science and society. This will be achieved through sound policies as the knowledge accumulated in the history, sociology and philosophy of sciences be expanded, consolidated and spread at the European level.

The ETHICAL project aims to contribute to these objectives by an approach of critical reflection on the deep relationships between knowledge and democracy. It intends to coordinate an international debate, with openness, participation, accountability, transparency and effectiveness. ETHICAL will provide a basis for this international debate, namely concrete documents as a prerequisite for formulating a common level of necessary pre-existing knowledge:

• Ethical implications on data collection, use and retention;
• Guide on Government – Industry;
• Ethical requirements for international biometric and medical data sharing.

Expected results & impact

The ETHICAL project has its main focus in coordinating activities in debate formulation of relevance with medical and biometric data use, bridging different communities and societal stakeholders under the same “roof” in order:

• To cultivate a new environment for more effective and safer services without compromising human rights;
• To spread the technological breakthrough concepts to a wider public;
• To cope successfully with societal challenges in data privacy and protection.

ETHICAL intends to bring into the forefront of the European consultation procedures, the issue of privacy of medical & biometric data use, working with the EC Committees, media, non-governmental organizations and the companies.

Basic concept of ETHICAL