ABSTRACT
'Biotechnology' refers to a wide range of techniques that make use of living organisms. Although this term does not occur until the beginning of the 1970s, such techniques have been used for centuries. The debate about the legal, ethical and social problems connected with modern biotechnology has been on-going since this branch of technology came into being. One of the most persisting and important issues of the debate concerns the risks of genetic engineering to man and the environment. On 12 May 1998, ten years after the first draft was announced, the European Parliament adopted a Directive on biotechnology patents, 'Directive 98/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 1998 on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions'. The European Commission argued that the provision suggested by the European Parliament did not meet the requirements governing the protection of personal data.
