PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsReaction to EU stem cell funding decision

BioNews

Reaction to EU stem cell funding decision

Published 9 June 2009 posted in News and appears in BioNews 369

Author

Dr Jess Buxton

Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family entwined in coils of DNA (based on the figure of Laocoön from Greek and Roman mythology).

UK physicist Stephen Hawking, who has motor neuron disease, has described the recent decision on European Union (EU) funding for human embryonic stem (ES) cell research as a 'fudge'. Last week, European Ministers agreed the latest draft of Europe's 54.5 billion Euro (£38 billion) 2007-2013...

UK physicist Stephen Hawking, who has motor neuron disease, has described the recent decision on European Union (EU) funding for human embryonic stem cell (ES cell) research as a 'fudge'. Last week, European Ministers agreed the latest draft of Europe's €54.5 billion (£38 billion) 2007-2013 research budget, the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). Following attempts by a German-led coalition to ban all EU funding of ES cell research, the agreement was reached after Ministers added the condition that no money would be given to projects that involve the destruction of human embryos. The amended budget proposal is now set to go back to the European Parliament for a second reading in November 2006.


Professor Hawking has said that stem cell research is the key to developing cures for motor neuron disease, and other degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's. Following last Monday's European Council decision, he told the Guardian newspaper that he hopes that this 'fudge' will place no practical limits on stem cell research. 'As I understand it, as long as the creation of new stem cell lines is paid for from private funds, or national budgets, EU money can be spent on research using these lines', he said, adding 'we throw away many embryos in IVF and no one objects. Isn't it better to use a few embryos to save lives?'


The UK's Royal Society said it was glad that Ministers had reached an agreement on the EU research budget, but said it was 'disappointed' by the decision to introduce new restrictions on ES cell research. 'It remains to be seen what impact these limitations will have on stem cell research given that they impose greater restrictions than currently exist for EU research funding', the society said in a press release. Developmental biologist Professor Robin Lovell Badge said that although the 'strange compromise' wasn't helpful, it was 'not too drastically against what we would hope'.


UK science minister Lord Sainsbury said that because of the situation in the US, the European decision could trigger a limited, reverse 'brain drain' - with 'disillusioned' American scientists moving to the UK. President Bush recently vetoed proposed legislation that would have expanded federal funding for ES cell research, a move that has attracted widespread criticism from many scientists and patient groups. 'In Europe we moving forward on this front whereas America has taken - as far as the federal government is concerned - a very negative position', said Lord Sainsbury. However, Professor Austin Smith, co-ordinator of the EuroStemCell project, pointed out that Bush's veto will not prevent US states such as California from continuing to fund ES cell research privately.


The Vatican has condemned the EU funding agreement, calling it 'the macabre product of a twisted sense of progress'. L'Osservatore Romano, a Vatican newspaper, was especially critical of Italy's decision to support the funding of ES cell research, when it had previously joined Germany and several other member states in calls for a complete ban.

Related Articles

PET BioNews
News
22 October 2010 • 1 minute read

UK immigration policy is affecting scientific research, experts claim

by Owen Clark

One of Britain's leading research institutes has warned that it will struggle to recruit top scientists due to new visa restrictions....

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

More evidence for passive smoking gene link

by Letitia Hughes

Researchers believe they have discovered why chronic exposure to passive smoking can cause some young people to go on to develop serious chest problems like asthma, while others are not as badly affected. They have warned that children who inherit a common gene defect face a heightened...

Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family entwined in coils of DNA (based on the figure of Laocoön from Greek and Roman mythology).
News
9 June 2009 • 3 minutes read

Bush vetoes stem cell research bill

by Dr Kirsty Horsey

US President George Bush has vetoed a bill passed by Congress that would have removed restrictions on federally-funded human embryonic stem (ES) cell research in America. The bill - known as the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 (HR 810) - was debated alongside two other bills...

Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family entwined in coils of DNA (based on the figure of Laocoön from Greek and Roman mythology).
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

EU approves funding for ES cell research

by Dr Jess Buxton

The European parliament has voted to allow European Union (EU) funding for projects involving human embryonic stem (ES) cell research. In the latest stage of the approval for Europe's 2007-2013 research budget, the 7th Framework Programme (FP7), politicians backed the proposal by 284 votes to...

Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family entwined in coils of DNA (based on the figure of Laocoön from Greek and Roman mythology).
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

EU still cannot reach agreement on ES cell funding

by BioNews

Following discussions earlier this week, European Union (EU) research ministers have failed to find a majority opinion on how human embryonic stem cell (ES cell) research should be funded under the Seventh EU Research Framework Programme 2007-2013 (FP7). Because of the lack of agreement among member states, the EU will...

Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family entwined in coils of DNA (based on the figure of Laocoön from Greek and Roman mythology).
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

Call to end EU funding of embryo research

by BioNews

A group of 73 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) has sent a letter to the commission president Manuel Barroso, calling for an end to EU funding of research using human embryonic stem (ES) cells. The call followed the commission's unveiling of its draft priorities for the next round of...

Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family entwined in coils of DNA (based on the figure of Laocoön from Greek and Roman mythology).
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

No increase in EU stem cell funding

by BioNews

The European Commissioner for Science and Research has said that he will not directly increase European Union (EU) funding for human embryonic stem (ES) cell research, even though the money allocated for scientific research as a whole has greatly increased. The proposed Seventh EU Research Framework Programme 2007-2013 (FP7...

Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family entwined in coils of DNA (based on the figure of Laocoön from Greek and Roman mythology).
News
9 June 2009 • 1 minute read

EU stem cell laws could inhibit research

by BioNews

European scientists who want to work on human embryonic stem (ES) cells may feel inhibited by laws in their own countries that ban such research, even if they are working elsewhere. The problems arising from the diverse range of regulations governing stem cell research in Europe were raised in a...

Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
CC BY 4.0
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false-coloured cryogenic scanning electron micrograph).
News
9 June 2009 • 1 minute read

No agreement reached on EU stem cell funding

by BioNews

The ongoing debate on whether European Union (EU) funds will be able to be used for human embryonic stem (ES) cell research has failed to be reconciled today. The Council of Ministers has failed to agree on funding in a final attempt to resolve the issue before a moratorium on...

Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family entwined in coils of DNA (based on the figure of Laocoön from Greek and Roman mythology).
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

European embryo stem cell research news

by BioNews

Two votes that will affect funding and support for embryo stem cell research took place in the European Parliament last week. The Environment Committee voted against proposals that sought to ban embryo stem cell research in the European Union (EU) member states, while the Industry Committee voted in favour of...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« IVF patients' career concerns

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.

Find out how you can advertise here
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

First UK medical guidelines issued for trans fertility preservation

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Male age has more impact on IVF birth rate than previously thought

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Complex structures of the human heart bioengineered

8 August 2022 • 1 minute read

Brain tumour gene also linked to childhood cancers

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856