Politics
Thursday June 15, 2006
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
EU Approves Full Public Funding of Embryo Research
By Hilary White
BRUSSELS, June 15, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The European Union, in a surprise move today, has approved full funding for embryonic stem cell research until 2013. Despite a contentious debate and years of wrangling with dissenting countries, the vote, held in Brussels yesterday, was a majority in favour.
The European supporters of embryo research employed the well-proven strategy of including the contentious research in an omnibus proposal for funding, a move that effectively bypassed debate over the nature of the embryo. MEP’s could not vote against embryo research without rejecting all other funding for scientific research.
“Though the research is controversial, we can be confident that Europe has the most sophisticated system on ethics and research established in any public institution,” British Labour MEP Gary Titley said during the debate.
About 51 billion euros have been allotted for the full research budget from 2007-13, only a small portion of which will be used for embryonic research.
A coalition of countries have opposed funding for embryo research, including Italy, Malta, Slovakia, Poland and Austria, Lithuania and Ireland. Several previous attempts to attain general consent among European Union countries had failed.
Earlier this week, Ireland’s Catholic bishops urged Irish MEP’s to vote against the proposition. The Irish Bishops Conference expressed disappointment at their government’s inaction, saying in a statement issued yesterday, “The crucial issue is that using a human embryo as an object of research is nothing short of destruction of a human life.”
“A question of such profound moral and human significance,” they said, “should not be treated under the heading of research funding.”
Earlier this month the Italian government, which had previously opposed the European funding push, removed their signature from a joint 'declaration of ethics’ that called on the EU to fund only those projects that enjoy an ethical consensus across the European community.
The Irish bishops said that the debate has ignored the moral difference between embryonic and adult stem cells. “Adult stem cell research is very promising and has already led to positive clinical results. This type of stem cell research comes with none of the ethical difficulties associated with research on human embryos.”
Read previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
EU Again Set to Fund Embryo Research
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06060710.html
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Australian Health Minister Fires Men’s Health Ambassador for Documenting Risks of Homosexuality
- IKEA’s Polish Catalogue Introduces “Ian and Steve” as a Model of the New Family
- Abortion Increases Women's Mental Health Problems: New Study
- Conservative Attorney General Seeks to Quash Morgentaler Order of Canada Challenge
- Purchase of Christmas Music CD By Pro-Life Priest is Great Way to Support LifeSiteNews
- EU Rejects Patent that “Necessarily Involves the Use and Destruction of Human Embryos”
- South Korean Court Orders Removal of Life Support from Comatose Woman
- The Power of a Bold Bishop
- God is Pro-Choice Says Nun
- Danish Study Shows almost 50% More Down's Children Eugenically Aborted with New Screening Options
- Letters to the Editor for Monday, December 1, 2008
- LifeSiteNews.com NewsBytes
Most Read this Week
- Behind the Scenes of Volition: Coincidences and Startling Circumstances
- Ad Showing Woman Seducing Santa Promotes Free Morning-After Pills and Condoms for Christmas
- Belgian Couple Sells Baby on EBay
- Leading Canadian Pro-Life MP Relates Shocking 20 Year Lack of Support From Catholic Clergy
- Naming the Anti-Life Appointments in the Obama Administration
- Cardinal on Biblical Condemnation of Homosexuality: We're Not Allowed the Cowardice of "Politically Correct" Silence
- A Painful, Disease-Ridden Death Isn’t So Bad if You’re Just a White, Heterosexual Male
- Film Review: Volition
- Just In Time for Christmas - Gift Cards for Abortions from Planned Parenthood
- Abortion Now Number One Cause of Death in Spain
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.