Activites

• 2008/03/13 Additional information
• 2008/03/13 Proposal withdrawn by Commission
  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/research/home.cfm', 'title': 'Research and Innovation'}, POTOČNIK Janez
• #2811
• 2007/06/25 Council Meeting
• #2550
• 2003/12/03 Council Meeting
  • 2550 summary

    The Council examined a text put forward by the Presidency, following the Council's deliberations at its meeting on 26 November, on the establishment of implementing provisions for Community funding of research projects involving the use of human embryos and human embryonic stem cells. At the end of the discussion, the President concluded that no agreement could be reached either on the Commission's amended proposal or on the Presidency text. The Commission, for its part, could not support the Presidency text.�

• #2547
• 2003/11/26 Council Meeting
  • 2547
• 2003/11/26 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(2003)0749 summary

    In general, the amendments adopted by Parliament tally with the approach proposed by the Commission by allowing the Community funding of research projects involving the procurement of human embryonic stem cells from supernumerary embryos and hence the creation of new lines. However, certain amendments, and in particular those aimed at removing the cut-off date for the creation of supernumerary embryos call into question the approach adopted by the Commission on 9 July 2003.�

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/research/home.cfm', 'title': 'Research and Innovation'}, POTOČNIK Janez
• 2003/11/19 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0506/2003 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution based loosely on the draft by Peter LIESE (EPP-ED, Germany) making some amendments to the Commission's proposals. (Please see the summary of 04/11/03.) Parliament voted 300 votes in favour, 210 against and 19 abstentions. The amendments are as follows: - the proposed cut-off date (27 June 2002) for the procurement of human embryos used for the procurement of stem cells should be removed; - research using adult stem cells should be given priority for financing; - all other alternative methods (including existing or adult stem cell lines) must have been examined and demonstrated not to be sufficient for the purposes of the research in question; - research funding should depend on the contents of the scientific proposal and the legal framework of the Member States involved; - no monetary compensation may be granted for the donation of embryos used for the recovery of stem cells; - research on embryo or foetal stem cells deriving from spontaneous or therapeutic abortion may be funded. It should be noted that the rapporteur Peter Liese, who had been advocating a compromise amendment, "disassociated" himself with the outcome of the vote.�

• 2003/11/17 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2003/11/04 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0369/2003
• 2003/09/01 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2003/07/09 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2003)0390 summary

    PURPOSE : to amend decision 2002/834/EC on the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration : "Integrating and Strengthening the European Research Area" (2002-2006). CONTENT : to recall, the 6th Research Framework Programme (FP6 2003-2006), as adopted by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament in 2002, allows for the funding of human embryonic stem cell research in relation to the fight against major diseases. Such research, in particular when it involves the derivation of stem cells from human supernumerary embryos, can only take place within a framework of clear and strict ethical guidelines. The EU research programme includes ethical provisions related to sensitive areas of research. In light of the sensitive nature of human embryonic stem cell research, the Council and the Commission agreed at the time of the decision-making process on FP6 that further ethical guidelines would be adopted before the end of 2003 for deciding on and for monitoring the EU funding of human embryonic stem cell research. The Commission now submits, based on Article 166, paragraph 4, of the Treaty, a proposal to the Council for the modification of the specific programme, on which the European Parliament will express its opinion. This proposal presents a coherent set of strict ethical guidelines that will apply to the EU funding of research projects involving the derivation of stem cells from human supernumerary embryos. In order to be funded by the Community, research projects involving the procurement of stem cells from human embryos must also meet the following conditions: - prior to the start of research activities, participants must obtain ethical advice at local or national level in the countries where the research will be carried out; - the human embryos used for the procurement of stem cells must have been created before 27 June 2002 as a result of medically-assisted in vitro fertilisation designed to induce pregnancy, and were no longer to be used for that purpose; - the project must serve particularly important research aims to advance scientific knowledge in basic research or to increase medical knowledge for the development of diagnostic, preventive or therapeutic methods to be applied to humans; - all other alternative methods (including existing or adult stem cell lines) must have been examined and demonstrated not to be sufficient for the purposes of the research in question; - the free, express, written and informed consent of the donor(s) should be provided in accordance with national legislation prior to the start of the research activities; - no monetary compensation or other benefit in kind must be granted or promised for the donation; - the protection of personal data, including the genetic data, of the donor(s) must be ensured; - where appropriate, the participants in research projects must follow quality and safety standards on donation, procurement and storage in accordance to the state of the art, in order to ensure in particular the traceability of these stem cells. The scientific evaluation and the ethical review organised by the Commission of the research proposals shall include verification of these conditions. The conditions shall be assessed during thescientific evaluation. The opinions of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, and in particular those relating to research involving the use of human embryonic stem cells will be taken into account. The participants in research projects should use their best efforts to make the newly derived human embryonic stem cell lines available to the scientific community on a non-profit making basis for research purposes. A list of research projects involving the use of all types of human embryonic stem cells funded under the sixth framework programme will be published yearly by the Commission. �

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/research/home.cfm', 'title': 'Research and Innovation'}, POTOČNIK Janez

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2003)0390
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0369/2003
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0506/2003
• Debate in Council: 2547
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(2003)0749
• Debate in Council: 2550

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)