European Commission Proposes Guidelines For ES Cell Research
Friday, 11 July 2003

The European Commission has presented its proposed guidelines on how EU should support and fund future embryonic stem cell research. They hope the rules can be introduced by 31 December this year when a moratorium on EU funding for stem cell research ends.

According to the proposals adopted by the European Commission, researchers could spend EU money to harvest new stem cells from frozen human embryos created before the 27 June 2002, which has been set as cut-off date.

This will undoubtedly set the stage for a showdown with the more conservative countries in Europe that oppose the work on moral grounds — a practice that is already illegal in Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland and Spain and blocked elsewhere.

While the proposal states that "the EU will not fund human embryonic stem cell research where it is forbidden," many countries like Germany don't want their tax money going to pay for such work anywhere.

Along with Sweden, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands and Britain allow for harvesting stem cells from 'spare' IVF embryos under certain conditions. Britain is the only EU member state that also allows the creation of human embryos for stem cell procurement.

Taking stem cells from embryos is illegal in countries such as Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Austria and Portugal and blocked in many more countries. A German law passed last year allows research on stem cells only if they are imported and existed before January 1, 2002.

EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. © European Communities, 1995-2002.

EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin said the main aim was to stop a "brain drain" of the brightest scientists leaving Europe to work in countries like the US, Australia and Singapore.

He said: "Europe is in a relatively weak position."

"Obviously there are ethical concerns. But the real question is 'Are we able to have excellence in this field in Europe?’"

"By setting strict ethical rules... for such funding, the EU contributes in a responsible way to advancing this science for the benefit of patients across the world, while at the same time ensuring that it takes place within a clear ethical framework."

He said countries could continue to choose whether they funded embryonic stem cell research themselves, but that the EU felt it was important to encourage as much research as possible.

"In some countries like the UK and the Scandinavian countries, this will be pursued aggressively," he said. "That means the other countries can live in peace."

Sir George Radda, chief executive of the Medical Research Council in Great Britain, said:

"The decision to set a cut-off date for which embryos can be used is limiting and may mean fewer high-quality embryos available for research, but we recognise compromise was needed given the disparate views of member states."

"Overall we're pleased that the Commission has recognised the importance of granting funding to allow researchers to generate stem cells using freely donated embryos left over from IVF research."

"The MRC sees stem cell research as a key research priority over the coming decades and the UK government has had the foresight to put in place legislation that will enable ethical and beneficial research into heath and human disease to be carried out."

"It's good to see this being echoed in EC policy, as we are on the brink of real medical progress."

The EU's research framework, which runs through 2006, foresees spending more than 2 billion Euro (US$2.3 billion) on biotechnology projects, but grants for stem cell research have been blocked by the moratorium.