Legislation

In order to take part in the FarGen project you will have to donate a sample of blood to the Faroese Health Authority. Persons who donate tissue, including blood samples, to the Faroese Health Authority are considered equivalent to patients receiving treatment according to the Health Act. This legislation is intended to guarantee the dignity and right to self-determination of participants, as well as to promote trust and confidence between participants and healthcare practitioners.

The Act also stipulates that patients (in this case participants) must submit what is known as informed consent before they receive any treatment, meaning that participants must sign a declaration of consent before they can donate a blood sample to the FarGen project.

The activities of the FarGen project are governed by the following legal acts:

• Human Genetics Research Act – the law governing research using human genes (in Faroese). 

• Personal Data Protection Act - the law governing data protection when personal information is handled (in Faroese).

• Health Act  (in Danish).

• Research Ethics Act - the law governing the safety and rights of participants in health and healthcare research projects (in Danish).

• Insurance Contract Act - (see §3a) (in Danish)