General States of Bioethics: National Workshop as a Space for Reflection and Dialogue
On 11 December 2025, the National Council of Ethics for the Life Sciences (CNECV) held the National Workshop of the General States of Bioethics at the Assembly of the Republic. This was a broad forum for reflection and dialogue bringing together the appointing bodies of the Council’s members, Members of Parliament, and institutions whose themes or areas intersect with the work carried out by the CNECV.
Throughout the session, participants deepened their understanding of the mission, responsibilities, composition and operating methods of the CNECV, with a view to gathering contributions to strengthen the Council’s action, enhance its institutional relevance, and consolidate its capacity for dialogue with political decision-makers and partner institutions.
The opening session featured interventions by the Vice-President of the Assembly of the Republic, Rodrigo Saraiva, the Vice-President of the CNECV, André Dias Pereira, and Councillor Inês Godinho. This was followed by a working session held in the parliamentary committee rooms, during which the participating entities were divided into two reflection groups, also including members of the CNECV, to encourage close and dynamic debate.
At the closing of the Workshop, the President of the CNECV, Maria do Céu Patrão Neves, delivered a few words praising the success of the initiative and thanking all those present. The President of the Parliamentary Committee of Céu, Filipe Neto Brandão, highlighted the importance of the Council at a time when knowledge, well-grounded argumentation and essential ethical principles are often undervalued, being replaced by simplistic, incoherent and merely confrontational discourse.
