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Parliament Approves EU Stem Cell Research By Raphael Minder in Strasbourg Published: November 20 2003 4:00 - Last Updated: November 20 2003 4:00 The European Parliament yesterday backed controversial plans to lift a ban on European Union funding for research using human embryos. It increases the chances of overcoming opposition in countries such as Germany, which have already prohibited such research on ethical grounds. EU ministers will meet on December 3 to decide whether to follow the Parliament's line and lift the moratorium on stem cell research, adopted in September 2002. The debate has so far been deadlocked, with Germany, Austria, Italy and Portugal opposed to such research. Luxembourg, Spain and Ireland have been ambivalent, despite the strength of their Catholic lobby. European biotechnology companies welcomed yesterday's parliamentary vote and said it should send a signal to ministers to grant funding for one of the most promising areas of biotech research. The sector has also warned that heavy restrictions in Europe could eventually lead to an exodus of scientists to Asia and other parts of the world. "This is an important step that will encourage development in this field across the EU," said Aisling Burnand, chief executive of the Bio-Industry Association, which represents 350 British companies. At stake is access to the EU's research budget, second only to EU spending on agriculture subsidies and worth €17.5bn ($21bn, £12.3bn) for 2003-07. About €200m had been earmarked for stem cell research out of €2.25bn available to the biotech sector. In July, the European Commission proposed lifting the ban with the proviso that research could only involve stem cell lines from so-called "supernumerary" embryos created before June 27 last year. A similar cut-off deadline was adopted in the US in 2001. Germany banned research on stem cells last year, a stand reaffirmed by a vote in the Bundestag last month. Peter Liese, a pro-life German deputy who pushed for strict curbs on embryonic research, said the "disappointing" position taken by the Parliament was a Pyrrhic victory for backers of more research as it would not end the ministerial stalemate and leave "legal uncertainty for everybody." The Catholic conference of German bishops described yesterday's parliamentary vote as "a devastating signal", showing scientific research was more valuable than the right to life. Next May's EU enlargement could further entrench ethical resistance. Ewa Okon-Horodynksa, Polish deputy minister for education, told the FT after the last ministerial discussion on stem cells that "our system of values is totally against this and there is no way we could morally agree with this kind of research." Research involving embryonic stem cells is at an early stage but is seen as key to developing treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's, leukaemia, strokes and spinal cord injuries. SOURCE: Financial Times, UK http://tinyurl.com/vtb1 * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn