Subsequent to the two former editions held in Sitges and Murcia in 2002 and 2003, respectively, a third meeting of University Ethics Committees was held in Granada on December 2-3, 2004. In addition to reinforcing this kind of meetings, the aim was to disclose a number of scopes of action of these committees, such as philosophy, legislation, good practice or confidentiality.

For that purpose, a wide range of people directly or indirectly involved in university committees, like specialized university teachers, accredited technicians, interns, patients, etc., was included This 2-day meeting was inaugurated with a lecture imparted by University of Granada’s Professor of Philosophy Juan José Acero Fernández on the relationship between science and ethics. Regarding current topics, the legislation and the ethical problems involved in stem cell research were raised and the so-called good scientific practice was approached in depth. Finally, the University of Granada contributed the experience of its Research Ethics Commission.