Started in February 2024, EBC is thrilled to share with you the European Charter for the Responsible Development of Neurotechnologies! With the ultimate goal to promote a culture of stewardship and trust in neurotechnologies, to foster greater wellbeing and sustainable economic growth, and to guide public policy, business practices and investments, this charter builds upon and complements existing mechanisms of governance and legislation by contributing to human-centred risk evaluations, addressing gaps and shedding light on grey areas deserving public attention and robust governance. Considering the rapidly expanding nature of neurotechnologies, the Charter is designed as a dynamic document, subject to regular review and updates.
The Charter aims to provide ethical guidance for the successful development of neurotechnologies in Europe by:
- Promoting equality of access and encouraging responsible, human-centred and rights-oriented innovation and business conduct,
- Protecting individuals, communities and vulnerable populations against any abuse or misuse affecting notions of human identity, freedom of thought, autonomy, privacy and human flourishing,
- Informing the general public, industry, scientific and clinical practice as wel as policymaking,
- Supporting the economic growth of the field by strengthening trust between al actors and promoting societal deliberation and citizen participation.
This Charter was jointly elaborated by diverse stakeholders in the field and its content emerged from collaborative dialogues between public and private sectors. Through a public consultation, the Task Force also gathered insights and feedback from various age groups and stakeholder categories across Europe. The Charter reflects a bottom-up, co-creative approach, bringing together key stakeholders in the European brain ecosystem, including organisations of people living with brain conditions, organisations of professional actors in health, research and ethics, policymakers, small and medium-sized enterprises.