Do research ethics committees hinder medical progress?

Research Ethics Committees are instruments which allow the medical professi on to control the research with human subjects. In this context, some medic al researchers criticize the increasing bureaucracy and the hindrance of re search which interfere with the ability to compete in international researc h. On the other hand, the public criticizes the missing transparency, indep endence and democratic legitimization of Research Ethics Committees as wen as the possible conflicts of interests of their members. The medical research with human subjects who are incompetent to give inform ed consent serves as an example to show the necessity of quality control an d standardized criteria of assessment. By comparison with the development of Institutional Review Boards in the Un ited States, ideas for the necessary changes of Research Ethics Committees in Germany regarding their work, assembly and transparency are developed.