Science at DESY regularly takes place at the threshold of currently existing knowledge or even of knowledge only deemed possible. In the process, situations may arise in which scientists, caught between scientific freedom on the one hand and other values and legal interests on the other hand, are required to make decisions and to answer ethical questions.

With the goal of making an appropriate deliberation process possible in such cases, culminating in a policy recommendation, DESY established an the Commission for Ethics in Research. Its function is to handle ethically-related matters in a structured manner and to set common standards for responsible conduct.

The DESY Commission for Ethics in Reserarch has the task of advising researchers on ethical questions in research projects and to give recommendations in the form of a vote with regard to questions that arise. The responsibility of the scientist and his/her superiors for the execution of the project remains unaffected by the evaluation of the Ethics Commission.

Furthermore, the Ethics Commission advises the DESY Board of Directors in critical cases and submits corresponding recommendations to it. The Commission reports annually to the Board of Directors about its work.