A comparative analysis of the legislation in the field of bioethics in several Western countries, especially in European Union member states, shows that there is a profound difference both in legislative policies and in the ethical principles enshrined by the laws. Over the past few years bioethics, as a discipline, has attempted to elaborate individual and collective behavioural codes in several fields, but it has come up against enormous difficulties; it has not even been possible to reach a consensus between different countries on the general principles. An example of this is the recent...