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EU approves human stem cell research By MaltaMedia News Oct 1, 2006, 11:04 CET Clearly against Malta's wishes and those of a few other member states, the European Union's Competitiveness Council has just approved its common position on the seventh research framework programme for 2007-13 by qualified majority voting. Twenty countries, accounting for 267 votes according to the vote-weighting system in force, voted in favour and five countries - Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Austria and Slovakia -representing 54 votes, votes against, on the grounds of their opposition to human stem cell research. The Sunday Times reported that in a declaration, the European Commission pointed out that the legal framework established with the last research programme would remain in force during the implementation of the seventh framework programme. It underlined that no activities would be funded in member states that banned this kind of research. At the same time it was also made clear that reproductive cloning remains subject to a general ban, as do those that lead to modifications of germ lines or create human embryos for research or those for producing stem cells. In other words, only research activities from surplus embryos can be used in stem cell research, namely those that are due to be destroyed, The Sunday Times added. This clarification however was still deemed unsatisfactory for some predominantly Catholic countries, including Malta. In fact Malta was arguing that EU funds should not be used for this kind of research. Following the vote, several member states made explanatory declarations. Germany pointed out that despite the Commission's efforts, provisions on ethics were still insufficient but said that it voted for the text because of its outstanding importance to European research and social development in the EU. Portugal said that it supported research on human stem cells but regretted the exclusion of a mechanism for obtaining these cells because it believed that the funding of this kind of activity would have definitely led to being able to monitor them at an ethical level. Austria, Poland, Malta and Lithuania also explained their reasons for opposing the programme. The Sunday Times reported Competitiveness Minister Censu Galea, representing Malta at the Council, saying that Malta had no problem with research using stem cells from naturally aborted embryos or cells deriving from blood chords, but it objected to research carried out on clone lines available on the market. During the debate, which has been ongoing for over a year, Malta's position was previously shared by a much larger bloc, including Germany, Slovenia and Italy. However, the newly elected centre-left coalition government in Italy brought a change in policy on the matter and made it possible for the pro-stem cell research countries to gain a majority at the EU Council. See also: EU will continue to fund embryo cell research by MaltaMedia News - Jul 24, 2006 © Copyright 2006 - MaltaMedia Online Network ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn