Bioethics between Law and Science: The Italian Law on Medically Assisted Procreation (Law no.40 Febrary 19, 2004)

The Italian law on medically assisted procreation (law no.40 of 19 February 2004) set off a wide controversy right from the start, so much so that it was later put to a public referendum to decide whether it should be repealed. This paper looks at the central issues involved in this law, issues relevant not only to Italy, but also to Italy in the context of European policy