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I suppose the Germans are spooked because ESCR opponents liken it to Nazi experiments on living people. ----- Original Message ----- From: "M.Schild" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 10:59 PM Subject: Germany Calls for EU-Wide Ban on Stem Cell Research > EUROPE | 21.07.2006 > Germany Calls for EU-Wide Ban on Stem Cell Research > Stem cell research receives a fraction of science funding but much > attention > > Germany put pressure on a number of European countries to reject a > proposal > that would make EU money available for stem-cell research before a crucial > vote on science funding takes place Monday. > Although stem cell research amounts to only a small portion of the bloc's > 51 > billion euro ($64.3 billion) science budget for 2007 to 2013, it is a > highly > controversial topic among the bloc's ministers and likely to be subject to > a > heated debate during an EU science and research ministers' meeting on > Monday. > > "The European Union science program should not be used to give financial > incentives to kill embryos," German Research Minister Annette Schavan > wrote > in a letter to the Finish EU presidency on Thursday, according to Reuters. > "The current proposal from the European Commission and the European > Parliament does not rule this out." > > Germany -- along with Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania > Luxembourg and Malta -- are against the notion that the bloc should > provide > money for projects in some countries if the same research is prohibited in > other member states. > > Who should decide on EU standards > Most Europeans approve of stem cell research > European Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik, however, said research > funding > should not be determined by nations at the extremes, but by the bloc's > majority. > > "Relying on the ethical standards of either the most restrictive or the > most > liberal countries would simply be against the principles of the EU," he > said. > > A May Eurobarometer survey showed 59 percent of Europeans approved of > embryonic stem cell research, providing there is some government oversight > of > the projects. > > Laws on stem cell research vary across Europe with the United Kingdom > encouraging it, and Germany enforcing a near total ban. This week US > President George W. Bush also vetoed a bill that would have permitted more > embryonic stem cells research in the United States. > > Finland proposes research limits > > Supporters of the research say the projects could help in the search for > cures > to diseases including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's by taking advantage of > cells that would otherwise be discarded by fertility clinics. Critics, > including the Christian churches, call the use of the cells unethical > because > it involves destroying human life. > > Nearly all the EU's research funding is tied to the 2007-2013 budget > Nearly > all the EU's research funding is tied to the 2007-2013 budget > Diplomats in Brussels said they expected Germany to try to win largely > Roman > Catholic Italy over to their argument and gain enough votes to block a > Finish > draft that places limits on the types of research allowed. > > Finland, who currently hold the rotating EU presidency, presented a > proposal > that allows funding for research on human stem cells but prohibits money > being given to projects dealing with human reproductive cloning, human > genetic modification and the creation of human embryos for scientific > research. > > Impasse could endanger all EU science funding > > If the ministers fail to agree on a compromise during the Monday meeting > the > European Parliament would not be left with enough time to hold a second > budgetary debate. 'That could keep other projects from receiving funding > next > year, according to Antonia Mochan, the European Commission's spokeswoman > for > science and research. > > The EU had a similar dispute on genetic research before it adopted its > current > science funding package for 2000-2006. The discussion at that time > produced a > system of a case-by-case analysis that required the approval of several > national and EU committees before awarding funds. > > DW staff (sms) > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn