On 12 December, a webinar offering an in-depth exploration of key ethical considerations critical to PARC’s ongoing and future projects was organized and open to all consortium members.

Moderated by Basile Cazalis de Fondouce (ANSES, FR), the webinar contextualized PARC’s work, particularly that of the task focusing on ethics and the Data and Ethics Protection Board (DEPB). It highlighted the ethics framework, ethical practices across the consortium, and ongoing challenges.

A series of expert presentations addressed both conventional and emerging ethical concerns:

• Human involvement in research projects – Lisbeth E. Knudsen (DK)
• Biobanking practices – Irma Virant (SI)
• Ethical issues in animal experimentation – Doris-Lou Demy (FR)
• Use of human biological samples in in vitro studies – Damjana Rozman (SI)
• Artificial intelligence in next-generation chemical risk assessment – Ineke Malsch (NL), focusing on emerging ethical implications and regulatory challenges
• Adherence to GDPR and FAIR data principles – Iseult Lynch (UK)
• Intellectual property rights – Anni Lähdetie (FI)

The session was interactive, enabling participants to share perspectives, raise questions specific to their expertise, and request further guidance. Attendees also discussed ethical challenges in their projects, shaping the dialogue toward actionable solutions for the consortium.

This webinar marks a significant step in fostering a culture of ethical awareness within PARC. By integrating ethical considerations into research design and implementation, PARC aims to maintain compliance with the highest ethical standards.

PARC participants can access the webinar slides on the PARC SharePoint ↗ and request the recording if needed.

For updates on upcoming events and resources, visit the PARC website.