Biobanks: General principles

  • The establishment and the use of biobanks have to balance out the main ethical principles of freedom of research, which is necessary for the progress of knowledge, and the respect of human dignity and self-determination.
  • The collection, storage and use of human bodily substances and data must be subject to the research volunteer's consent which is based on information and voluntariness.
  • Research volunteers must be protected by an obligation of privacy on all parts concerned with the establishment and use of biobanks.
  • The generation and operation of the biobank must be subject to quality assurance measures.

Relevant documents

[ 1 ] Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, Oviedo 4.IV.1997
[ 3 ] Biobanks for research
[ 2 ] Additional Protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, concerning Biomedical Research
[ 50 ] Recommendation Rec(2006)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on research on biological materials of human origin
[ 7 ] Research ethics guidelines for using biobanks, especially projects involving genome research
[ 55 ] Act on Biobanks no. 110/2000
[ 56 ] Human Tissue Act 2004