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Brussels A group of European pro-life organizations mobilizes against research embryonic stem cells in a way that the European Commission can not ignore. One of us, a so-called citizens' initiative, has collected 1.7 million signatures of all 28 E.Ü. Member States for a proposal that would block the funding of research in which embryos are destroyed; under E.Ü. rules, the European Commission must now consider turning the proposal into legislation
Research Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn will meet with the organizers of the initiative today. Thursday, they will defend their case during a public hearing in the European Parliament. The commission has until May 28 to spell his answer.
The proposal is a direct attack on a delicate compromise on the use of embryonic cells in research, a subject on which the union is strongly divided. "Every rear roll of the agreement would be a major step backwards for research into regenerative medicine, reproductive health and genetic diseases, and delaying the development of essential treatments for a host of non-treatable conditions," said a group 31 research institutes and universities across Europe today in a statement. the group, led by the Wellcome Trust, urged the Commission and the Parliament to reject the initiative.
European citizens' initiatives, a democratic novelty introduced in 2012, allow citizens to propose EU legislation, if a proposal gets at least 1 million verified signatures of seven or more Member States, the Commission must examine the transform in law. (One of Us is only the second to reach this threshold, the first called on the Commission to implement the human right to water and sanitation.)
E.Ü. the Member States have different regulations in the field of research on embryonic stem cells from very permissive, eg Belgium, Sweden and the UK, where the creation of embryos for research purposes is allowed very restrictive, such as Poland and Lithuania, where the research with embryonic stem cells is illegal.
regarding EU funding is concerned, Member States have agreed to disagree. Under the 7-year research program of the European Union 2020, which began this year, the union does not sponsor research that is illegal in the country where it would take place. In addition, the commission supports research activities that create human embryos for research purposes. But supporters of the initiative One of Us say that this provision is too lax; they argue that not E.Ü. money at all should go to activities which destroy human embryos research. This blocks funding for research on stem cells from leftover embryos from in vitro fertilization.
"The underlying dogma [the plea] is that as soon as the egg is [fertilized], there is a person who has a soul," said Charles Susanne, a biology and anthropology retired professor of the University of Brussels now studying bioethical issues. "Based on this principle, it is natural to reject abortion or research using embryos no more than 4 or 8 cells."
In its legislative proposal, One of Us refers to the 2011 decision of the European Court of Justice in a case known as the Brüstle v. Greenpeace, which said that the processes and products involving human embryonic stem cells are not patentable in the EU. The judgment "indicates that fertilization is the beginning of human life and in the name of human dignity excludes the patentability of any procedure that involves or necessitates the destruction of a human embryo," the organizers write. The EU should apply this principle in all, they argue.
Julian Hitchcock, a lawyer for the life sciences in the London firm Lawford Davies Denoon, said that this argument can not withstand legal scrutiny. The decision of the court was limited to biotechnology patents and can only be read as a general statement about where life and human dignity begin, Hitchcock said.
Under the E.Ü. Previous research program from 07 to 2013, the EU spent € 156.7 million on 27 cooperation projects in health research involving the use of human embryonic stem cells, a spokesman for the commission said. "Europe is currently a world leader in these competitive areas of research, and clinical trials are already underway arising from the research on stem cells," says the joint statement today by the scientific organizations. "Any measure restrict research using embryos threaten this position and prevent researchers in development of vital treatments for patients. "
observers say it is difficult to predict whether the Eropean Commission will reopen talks on his hard-earned accord. "at first, I hope not, because the decision has already been taken ... to keep the compromise" in 2020, says Susanne.
One of Us, which boasted the support of Pope Benedict XVI, said he has received about € 0,000 from three pro-life foundations in Spain and Italy over the last 2 years.
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