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Objectives


About us

The Belgian Association of Research Ethics Committees is an initiative of the Belgian Ethics Committees involved in the evaluation and follow up of health related research projects. Indeed, they felt the necessity to join their efforts in order to improve the protection of human subjects involved in health related research.

As a consequence, an association has been created and since June 2016 formally established with the following main objectives: to stimulate debate on relevant topics and mutual exchange of knowledge and expertise between Ethics Committees, to formulate advices and harmonise the work of the Ethics Committees, to represent the Belgian Ethics Committees, giving them a voice in various debates and platforms.

The association currently represents the vast majority of ethics committees involved in the evaluation of clinical research in Belgium. The association regularly organises various meetings for the members, creates ad hoc workgroups on core topics and is actively participating to various debates concerning ethics committees related issues, in particular with the federal health care authorities.

Our objectives

To support and assist Belgian Ethics Committees involved in health care, in particular Ethics Committees involved in the evaluation of health-related research involving human subjects, material or data. In this way, the association aims to improve the protection of human subjects in all aspects of above mentioned health-related research

To provide the Ethics Committees with information and training in order to support and facilitate their work, enhance the quality of their review and develop a common basis for coherent evaluation of research
To stimulate debates on relevant topics and mutual exchanges of knowledge and expertise between Ethics Committees and to develop common actions in order to realise the objectives of the association
To promote dialogue and cooperation with any other partner or organisation that might contribute to improve the quality of research and the protection of the research participant
To represent the above mentioned Ethics Committees on various platforms and to give them a voice among the various stakeholders involved in research
To promote and protect the role of Ethics Committees in research, in particular in the protection of the research participant