Events

Reports on past events

Bio San Francisco, June 2004

Review of Nuffield Council on Bioethics: Discussion Paper
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics published an influential report in 1999 “Genetically Modified Crops: Ethical and Social Issues”. A revision has just been published “Discussion Paper: The use of genetically modified crops in developing countries”. This can be accessed at http://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/home/. Members of EAGLES have individually contributed their comments of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics discussion Paper.

EAGLES at BioVision, 3-6 April 2004, Alexandria, Egypt

http://www.bibalex.org
On the invitation of Dr. Serageldin, Chairman of the Conference and Chairman of EAGLES, EAGLES organised a Plenary Session on “The Issue of Biotechnology and Sustainable Consumption: The major Challenges for the 21st Century”. Dr Serageldin, Yang and McConnell described their vision and ideas on how the South and the North could work to mend the divide. Following the very positive response of the audience, EAGLES organised an open Round Table Discussion at which all participants were invited to suggest mechanisms to develop the EAGLES initiative. There was a lot of support for the general objective of mobilising European public and political opinion to focus European life sciences on the needs of the developing world. Even if there was some scepticism that EAGLES could succeed where so many other organisations had failed, all recognised that the problems are so great that inaction is inexcusable.

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), March 2004

http://www.gbf2004.cl
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UNIDO has had a major interest in biotechnology for many years and took the initiative that led to the foundation of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Trieste and New Delhi). Dr George Tzotzos of UNIDO is organising the Global Biotechnology Forum Bioindustries in Development at Concepción, Chile March 2 - 5, 2004. EAGLES has been invited to arrange a plenary session on “Biotechnology: views and opinions from emerging and developing countries”. Chairman: David Mc Connel, Speakers: Tilahun Yilma, Huanming Yang, Marc van Montagu, etc…

Institute for International Integration Studies, Trinity College Dublin.

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David McConnell spoke about EAGLES at the conference The Global Development Challenge, organised by Philip Lane and Jeffery Sachs, July 10 2003

BioVision Debate Dinner, 10 April 2003, Lyon, France

The concept of EAGLES was well received at a discussion at the BioVision Conference at Lyon, France, on Thursday 11 April. The discussion which took place at a Debate Dinner, was addressed by the Chairman of EAGLES, Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the New Library of Alexandria, the Co-Vice-Chairmen, Dr. Huanming Yang, Director of the Beijing Genome Centre, and Dr. David McConnell, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, President of the European Federation of Biotechnology, Dr. Mark van Montagu, European Group on Life Sciences, Mr. Paul Rubig, Member of the European Parliament, Dr. Wang Yu, Head of the Chinese National Centre for Biotechnology Development, Dr. Adel El-Beltagy, Director General of the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Regions, and Simon Barber of EuropaBio. The discussion was moderated by Sabine Louët, News Editor of Nature Biotechnology.

EGLS Conference, January 2003

Information on the EGLS Conference: http://www.europa.eu.int
An ad hoc group supported by EFB met in Brussels during the EGLS meeting “Towards sustainable agriculture for developing countries: options from life sciences and biotechnologies” 30-31 January 2003. This Steering Group discussed and established EAGLES aims and declaration. New members were invited to join, many from developing and emerging countries Steering Committee Meeting, 29 January 2003, Brussels, Belgium.

The steering committee of EAGLES was held in Brussels on 29 January 2003 in conjunction with the conference organised by the European Group on Life Sciences, “Towards sustainable agriculture for developing countries: options from life sciences and biotechnologies”, 30-31 January 2003.