On the 20 September 2005, a group of 73 MEPs have signed a letter to the European Commission President, Manuel Barroso, calling the Commission to respect the principle of subsidiarity in the matter: Member States should decide if they want to fund research on the human embryon or not.
It follows the adoption of the resolution in March 2005 where the European Parliament carried the same concerns.
Adoption of a resolution on human embryo research funding in FP7
A group of MEPs are concerned that the new European Framework Research Programme (FP7) could fund human cloning and embryo research. Amongst them, were Mrs Hiltrud Breyer MEP (Greens/EFA - DE), Mr Peter Liese MEP (EPP/ED - DE), Mr Adamos Adamou MEP (GUE/NGL - CY) and Ms Maria Martens MEP (EPP/ED - NL).
The seventh research framework programme will represent EU’s main tool to fund research and development activities throughout Europe. The Commission’s plans for the programme, which have to be agreed by the Parliament and the national governments, triggered a debate on the controversial aspects of bioethics.
MEPs argued that the programme text does not indicate clear rules on research with human embryos and human embryonic stem cells. This type of research is banned in several Member States including Germany, Austria and Italy. The parliamentariants are demanding a clear commitment from the European Commission that embryo cell research will not be eligible for EU funds.
The European Commission response to the resolution
In response to the concerns, the Commission has issued a memo clarifying its approach. According to DG Research, two paragraphs in the FP7 proposal detail ethical principles :
the first outlines that any activities should “respect fundamental ethical principles, including those reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union” (recital 25);
the second states that all “the research activities carried out under the seventh Framework Programme shall be carried out in compliance with fundamental ethical principles” (art 6).
This debate followed a European Parliament resolution about banning trade on human cells and embryos.
