Bioethical Issues in the Framework of the EU Policy .......... 185

The European Union does not have any legislative competence with regard to bioethi-cal questions; however, EU decisions in some policy fields – related to the establishing and functioning of the internal market, public health, research and technological development or development cooperation – may impact upon the bioethical positions of the Member States. And the EU institutions, mainly the Parliament, often stimulate a political debate on bioethical issues eventually leading to the formation of a so-called “soft law” (resolutions, declarations, reports) which, although not legally binding, indeed create a political climate and pressure on national governments. This paper discusses three matters – the so-called reproductive health, presented as one of human rights; the protection of animals used for scientific purposes and the Re-search Framework Programme ‘Horizon 2020’ – where the EU activity, underpinned by a weak anthropological base and the culture of compromise, together with a strong pres-sure of the industrial and research sector and of the NGO’ lobbying, is leading to an inco-herent, shallow and unsound outcome, namely from the ethical perspective.