When the CCNE was created in 1983, as the world’s first national ethics committee, it paved the road for counterparts in other countries to address the new issues raised by the progress of science and medicine:

• Austria : Bioethikkommission
• Belgium: Comité consultatif de bioéthique de Belgique
• Canada: National Council on Ethics in Human Research
• Denmark: Danish Council of Ethics
• Finland : National Advisory Board on Research Ethics
• Germany : Nationale Ethikrat
• Greece : Hellenic National Bioethics Commission
• Grand-Duché of Luxembourg : Commission Consultative Nationale d'Ethique pour les Sciences de la Vie et de la Santé
• Italy : Comitato nazionale per la bioetica
• Norway : National Committees for Research Ethics
• Portugal : Conselho Nacional de Etica para as Ciencias da Vida
• Sweden : Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics
• Tunisia : Comité National d'éthique médicale
• United Kingdom :

  • Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing
  • Human Genetics Commission
  • Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
  • Nuffield Council on Bioethics
• USA: President’s Council on Bioethics
• Canada : Commission de l'éthique de la science et de la technologie
  

Because the ethical issues raised by health and life sciences know no borders, the CCNE maintains many informal bilateral and trilateral relations. Regular meetings between the German, British and French ethics committees illustrate this will to share at the international level.
The Committee takes part in European initiatives such as the "Meeting of Minds", to contribute to an international public debate.