Liability for and Insurability of Biomedical Research with Human Subjects in a Comparative Perspective

Introduction

The Health Research and Development Council of the Netherlands, the research agency of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, has issued this research project concerning the possibilities and the limitations of the way biomedical research with human beings is actually insured in the Netherlands.

Part of this study is a comparative research concerning the liability for biomedical research involving human subjects and its insurability in Belgium, England, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland and the actual functioning of the liability and insurance systems in these countries, as far as information is available. Within the framework of this comparative research, these issues have been addressed by several country reports. Particular concern has also been given to insurance and economic aspects.

Framework

This project was initiated by ZorgOnderzoek Nederland (ZON) (Netherlands). The project is carried out by co-operation of ECTIL with the Maastricht European Institute of Transnational Legal Research (METRO) and the Health Law Centre of the University of Maastricht (Netherlands).