Invited lecture by Associate Professor Zvonimir Koporc, PhD, at the EACME Annual Conference 2026 in Belgium

Associate Professor Zvonimir Koporc, PhD, from the Faculty of Medicine at the Catholic University of Croatia delivered an invited oral presentation at the international EACME Annual Conference 2026 in Leuven on September 25, 2026. The conference was organised by KU Leuven and its Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law.

In his presentation entitled “Beyond Regulation: Preparedness and Structural Challenges of EU National Ethics Councils in AI Governance”, he addressed challenges related to the preparedness and institutional capacities of European national ethics councils (EU NECs) to respond to the increasingly complex ethical and regulatory demands arising from the development of artificial intelligence.

Particular emphasis was placed on the role of national ethics councils within the new European framework for AI governance, as well as on structural factors that may affect their ability to provide expert and independent ethical advice to public policymakers.

This year’s conference also marked the 40th anniversary of the European Association of Centres for Medical Ethics (EACME) and KU Leuven’s Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, bringing together international experts and researchers in the fields of bioethics, medical ethics, public policy and emerging technologies.