 |
 |
The EU Observer, Belgium 08.07.2003 - 20:31 CET Embryo Research Dispute Set To Continue EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Commissioners will meet again tomorrow (Wednesday 9 July) to thrash out revised proposals on EU funding for embryonic stem cell research. Last week differences among the 20-strong college resulted in deadlock - with the release of proposals postponed. Commissioners were divided on ethical lines with some viewing the encouragement of embryo harvesting as potentially dangerous. The Commission has also been under pressure from member states to dilute their proposal. Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Ireland have all expressed reservations that EU funding would be provided for projects involving cells taken from human embryos. In Germany, the EU's biggest budget contributor, the practice is prohibited. A new deal. A Commission spokesperson said late on Tuesday that he was "confident" a "consensual solution" would be reached within the Commission. According to officials fresh proposals are likely to ban the use of embryos created after a certain date from being used for stem cell research - a measure to prevent cloning for therapeutic purposes and designed to allay some fears. The Commission is expected to stick by its decision to backing funding in states where the practice is legal, leaving member states to pick up the issue when the recommendations are discussed in the council of ministers. Objections are likely. Officials confirmed that Germany is set to propose a separate research fund be set up for countries that wish to encourage embryo stem cell research, although no formal proposal has yet been made. In the absence of a Commission position that is acceptable to all member states, many remaining decisions of moral and scientific importance will invariably fall on national leaders to decide. Powerful interest groups in the member states remain divided. Scientists continue to express concern that funding will not be made available for research which could potentially save thousands of people each year from degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Some argue that stem cells taken from sources other than embryos do not allow for the same possibilities. However, Church groups object on the grounds that an embryo is a human life. On this basis some moral philosophers also argue that the practice breaks the code that things should be treated as a end in themselves, not merely as a means. The Commission, however, is keen to see Europe-wide funding as a means to bolster their moves towards creating a European research area. Lagging behind the US in both research spending and innovation, many in the scientific community have backed attempts to limit duplication of research across the EU. Written by Andrew Beatty Edited by Honor Mahony SOURCE: The EU Observer, Belgium http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?aid=12020 * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn