European parliament calls for cloning ban

European MPs have passed a resolution condemning the UK government's recent recommendation to allow research into therapeutic cloning - the use of cloned early embryo cells to develop new disease treatments. The European Parliament narrowly approved a resolution calling for a ban on all forms of human cloning throughout Europe, by 237 votes to 230. It also stated that no European Union money should be given to any institution carrying out human embryo cloning research.

Although the resolution is not legally binding, it sends a political message to both the European Commission and to British MPs soon to vote on new legislation that would permit such research to go ahead. Two independent groups of scientists established by the commission are due to report in November on the ethical and medical aspects of therapeutic cloning.

Meanwhile, in the US, a Senate subcommittee has heard testimonies from patients urging senators to pass new legislation that would allow government-funded researchers to derive their own embryo stem cells. The National Institutes of Health recently proposed new guidelines that would permit government scientists to work on embryo stem cells provided by private companies. The Stem Cell Research Act of 2000 goes further, as it would allow federally funded scientists to derive their own stem cells from embryos donated by fertility clinics. A vote on the proposed new law is expected later this month.