[Clinical ethics committees are tested in Norway].

Health care ethics committees are now established at three hospitals in Norway as a result of a three year project in cooperation with the Centre for Medical Ethics and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. This article describes the project and discusses various difficulties regarding the establishment and functioning of health care ethics committees, such as their mandate and membership, the understanding of ethics and methodology, the role of ethical expertise and the relation between physicians' decision-making responsibility and a health care ethics committee.