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The European Council of Ministers has failed to reach a decision on whether to permit EU funding of research using human embryonic stem cells (HESC). Funding of such research has been on hold while the European Commission, Parliament, and Council have tried to find a way forward despite the conflicting ethical and legal positions of different member states.
The Competitiveness Council of Ministers meeting on December 3 considered proposals by the European Commission, amended by the European Parliament that would have allowed the funding to go ahead.
In the absence of any decision from the council, Italian research minister and acting president of the Competitiveness Council, Letizia Moratti, said: “It is now up to the European Commission to decide on research using stem cells from human embryos, either alone or in conjunction with the next EU [presidency].”
The rotating EU presidency will next be held by Ireland, from January 1, 2004. Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Mary Harney was reported in the EU press release as describing the council's failure to reach a compromise as the “worst case scenario.” She could not see the issue of stem cell research guidelines being resolved during the Irish presidency.
The commission, which distributes research funds under the Sixth Framework Programme, still hopes that the issue can be resolved under the Irish presidency. “It is now up to the council and the presidency to show some leadership and come up with an acceptable proposal,” said a spokesperson for Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin, speaking to Cordis News.
The commission will probably go ahead and invite and evaluate proposals for various types of research using embryonic stem cells, Cordis News reported. Accepted projects will then be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by regulatory committees, on which member states are represented.
Busquin's spokesperson does not believe that the involvement of member states on these committees would mean that such research projects would be blocked. “These committees adopt a [system] whereby a qualified majority is needed in order to reject the project. In the case of less controversial research using embryonic stem cells, it is likely that some projects will be approved,” he said.
References
| 1. | | [http://dbs.cordis.lu/cgi-bin/srchidadb?CALLER=NHP_EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=EN_RCN_ID:21298 ]
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| | | “Council washes its hands of embryonic stem cell research debate,” European Commission press release, December 4, 2003.
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| 2. | | [http://www.the-scientist.com/news/20031120/08/]
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| | | A. Scott, “Euro parliament OKs stem cells,” The Scientist, November 20, 2003.
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| 3. | | [http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/biosociety/pdf/catalogue_stem_cells_non_eu.pdf]
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| | | “Survey on opinions from national ethics committees or similar bodies, public debate and national legislation in relation to human embryonic stem cell research and use: Volume II, Countries acceding to the EU, countries associated to FP6 and third countries,” European Commission report, September 2003.
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| 4. | | [http://dbs.cordis.lu/news/en/home.html]
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| | | Cordis News
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