<b>July 9, 2003</b> – BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Union (news – web sites) head office proposed guidelines Wednesday for funding research on embryonic stem cells, setting the stage for a showdown with countries that oppose such work on moral grounds. The proposal adopted by the European Commission (news – web sites) would allow researchers to spend EU money to harvest new stem cells from frozen human embryos – a practice illegal in Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland and Spain and blocked elsewhere.
Under the proposal, the European Union would not fund human embryonic stem cell research in any country where it is forbidden. Still, members such as Germany don't want their tax money to pay for projects elsewhere that would be banned at home.
The debate was passionate within the 20-member commission, but the members ultimately adopted the proposal, said EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin.
All commissioners supported the "key objective," which is to stop top European scientists from leaving for countries that allow the research such as the United States, Australia and Singapore, Busquin said.
"Europe is in relatively weak position," he said at a news conference. "Obviously there are ethical concerns. … (But) the real question is this, 'Are we able to have excellence in this field in Europe?'"
Next, the guidelines will be reviewed by the European Parliament, which can only give its opinion. The 15 EU nations must ultimately approve the rules; the German research ministry in Berlin said it would try to forge a compromise on the basis of its own strict law.
A moratorium on EU funding for stem cell research is set to end on Dec. 31, and the commission hopes to get the new rules in place before then.
Stem cells, which scientists believe could be used to treat a wide range of human diseases, can potentially grow into any type of human tissue. The cells can be found in adults, but scientists believe they may not be as useful as those found in embryos.
Sweden, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands and Britain allow harvesting stem cells from so-called supernumerary embryos – extras resulting from in vitro fertilization – under certain conditions. Britain is the only member state that allows the creation of human embryos for stem cell procurement.
But in Ireland, such research is considered by many as tantamount to abortion, which is illegal except in life-threatening cases. Other mainly Catholic countries are also skeptical, including Spain, France, Austria and Portugal.
