1. The background rationale for the establishment of the Working Group

 The FEPI working group on ethical codes was set up following a mandate of FEPI General Assembly and the FEPI action plan of 2007. It has been established in line with the European debate on the necessity to take joint action on ethical codes in Europe. Such debates are a result of the Services Directive in the Internal Market and the Lisbon strategy that seeks to make the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy and society by 2010.

Patient safety and public protection in an enlarged European Internal Market cannot be achieved without a common understanding of the values and codes of conduct that govern the nursing profession.

The FEPI Working Group on Ethical Codes aims to provide a space of reflection for nursing regulators as well as for competent authorities and researchers on the principles and values that would lead to the drafting of a European Code of Ethics for Nursing. Such principles are crucial for the future of the profession and would bring substantial added value to the work being carried out on this matter at EU level.

To this purpose FEPI will work in close collaboration with CEPLIS - the European Council of the Liberal Professions - the leading organisation in the reflection on Common Values for the Liberal Professions in Europe.

2. Aims of the FEPI WG Ethical codes

2.1 The central aim of the WG is to develop a European Code of Ethics for Nursing. In this sense, it participates to the fulfilment of the overall objective of FEPI: the promotion of patient safety and public protection across Europe through excellence in nursing practice.

2.2 The WG Ethical codes aims to play an active role, along with other health organisations, in the initiative developed by CEPLIS towards a broad consensus on the Common Values of the Liberal Professions in Europe.

2.3 The WG Ethical codes will disseminate its work to other regulators across Europe, to competent authorities and Ministries of Health and Education in EU member states and beyond and to other nursing organisations at European and international level. It will thus share examples of good practice with regard to ethical codes in the profession.

3. The fields of WG Ethical codes

The WG on Ethical codes is to provide a European platform for effective dialogue among regulators/competent authorities for nursing, legal advisors and researchers on issues related to ethics, deontology and codes of conduct for nursing.

More specifically such issues include:

Patient/client protection and patient rights

Ethical principles of the profession

Deontology (duties and responsibilities) of the profession

Professional conduct

4. The relationship between WG Ethical codes and FEPI Executive Board

Any decisions, positions and recommendations that the WG make will be communicated to FEPI Executive Board. It will be up to the Executive Board of FEPI to take action and follow decision making procedures through voting at the FEPI General Assembly.