The "Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine" ("Oviedo Convention"), which was adopted in Oviedo (Spain) in 1997 and has since been ratified by 29 states (but not by Germany), caused fierce controversy in Germany. Critics argue that the Convention constitutes a departure from the normative framework marked by human rights, not least because it allows research on persons unable to give consent under strict conditions. The prevailing opinion among ethicists and legal experts, however, is that this far-reaching criticism is incorrect. The Convention is supplemented by additional protocols on specific subjects. In 2005, the Convention was supplemented by the Additional Protocol concerning Biomedical Research, which entered into force on September 1, 2007.