<b>July 7 2003</b> – Guidelines for public funding of sensitive research on stem cells could bring a confrontation between the European Commission and five of the most Catholic members of the European Union. On Wednesday, the Commission publishes proposed guidelines for awarding research grants. The most contentious proposal – to make money available for human embryonic stem cell research – is a step further than some member states are willing to take.
The Commission said on Monday that the proposals were "still very sensitive", even though many of the more controversial areas of stem cell research have been put off-limits. But for Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany and Ireland, the states understood to have the most ethical concerns about using taxpayers' money for embryonic stem cell research, this may not go far enough.
Under the proposals, which must be approved by the European parliament and the council of ministers, funding will be available for research on so-called "spare embryos" created during the in vitro fertility procedure. Each treatment produces between five and 10 embryos that are then either discarded or frozen. These bundles of cells are thought by many researchers to be particularly promising.
"It is important to correct the perception of Europe as research-unfriendly," the Commission said. After falling behind the US and south-east Asia on research into genetically modified organisms, officials are anxious to put Europe at the forefront of new scientific research.
Supporters of stem cell research argue that it could lead to new treatments for chronic diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and diabetes, and may also help scientists to understand cancer better. But for those who argue human life begins at the stage of fertilisation, any research using tissue from human embryos runs the risk of lending abortion a veneer of scientific respectability.
Funding research that involves creating embryos for stem cell procurement, a practice limited to a handful of member states including the UK, has been ruled out.
One compromise option is to imitate the US and set a cut-off point that would prevent work on cells from embryos created after a specified date. This solution was adopted by President George W. Bush after intense lobbying by pro-life campaigners in Washington.
The Commission hopes to have clear guidelines in place for when the moratorium on funding for research on new embryonic stem cells, estimated to be worth up to ?50m ($57m, £34m), ends in December 2003.
