Subcommittee Ethics and Societal Aspects (ScEMA)

Twelve COGEM members serve on the Subcommittee Ethics and Societal Aspects (ScEMA). These members possess a wide range of expertise, including philosophy, ethics, medicine, science communication, sociology, economics, technology development and innovation, stakeholder participation and policy, law, and social geography.

The Subcommittee Ethics and Societal Aspects fulfills COGEM’s statutory duty to inform the government and policymakers about ethical and societal issues surrounding genetic modification. The subcommittee provides a balanced perspective on the ethical and societal goals and values that play a role in genetic modification, without making value judgments. Unlike the other subcommittees, the ScEMA does not prepare advisory reports. In recent years, the subcommittee has published policy reports on topics such as the dynamics of the GMO debate and the high costs of gene therapies, amongst other things.

The Subcommittee Ethics and Societal Aspects meets five times per year to discuss current developments and prepare reports.