EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/771

(2004/C 84 E/0867)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0319/04

by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 February 2004)

Subject: Funding of research with embryonic stem cells

After the meeting of the Competition Council on 26 November 2003, several media sources quoted the corresponding statements of government representatives of different Member States (e.g. Germany Italy Austria, Luxembourg, Spain) which supported the Portuguese proposal.

Subsequently, Research Commissioner Busquin declared during lunch that he would support a Portuguese compromise proposal intending only to fund research on embryonic stem cells if they were created before a certain deadline, and not to fund research on embryos as such.

However, some days later, Commissioner Busquin declared that his statement was misunderstood.

Can the Commission confirm that the Portuguese compromise proposal was quoted correctly by the government representatives of Germany and Portugal, and can the Commissioner clarify in which form he signalled his consent to the Portuguese compromise? In the Commission's view, in what way exactly was he misunderstood; was the compromise proposal not clearly worded or did the Commissioner not clearly understand the consequences of the proposal?

At his press call on 3 December 2003, after the inconclusive Council meeting, Mr Busquin declared that the Commission would be careful to fund only those projects which would be acceptable to all Member States. Can the Commission confirm this? Can the Commission explain the reason for the difference between this statement by Commissioner Busquin and the present position of the Commission, which claims the legal right to fund research which is illegal or unconstitutional in a number of Member States?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2004)

The Honourable Member is referring to the informal discussions which took place in the margins of the Council meeting of 26 November 2003 and which were purely exploratory in nature. The Commission has defended its proposal throughout the legislative procedure.

Despite the very clear views expressed by Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee in favour of the Commission's proposal (1), the Council meeting of 3 December 2003 did not wish to settle this issue.

Consequently, in the absence of a new legislative text, the Commission is bound to implement the 6th Framework Programme and the specific programme ‘Integrating and strengthening the European Research Area’ which authorise such research.

The proposals concerned by into human embryo stem cell research will be evaluated case by case on the basis of the text of the framework programme adopted in the context of the co-decision procedure on 27 June 2002 and the specific programme adopted by the Council on 30 September 2002. Pursuant to Article 6(3) of the specific programme (2), any proposal for Community funding in this area requires approval case by case by the Programme Committee consisting of national delegates appointed by the Member States. Until such time as the Council reaches agreement on the amended Commission proposal of 26 November 2003 (3), the Commission will not propose the funding of research relating to the procurement of stem cells from supernumerary human embryos.

The Commission's position on this research remains that expressed in its amended proposal of 26 November 2003 which is still before the Council.

(1) A proposal aimed at ensuring very stringent, clear and transparent rules for Community research concerning the procurement of stem cells from supernumerary human embryos.

(2) The Committee procedure laid down in Article 7(3) applies to the adoption of RTD actions involving the use of human embryos and human embryo stem cells (Council Decision 2002/834/EC, OJ L 294, p. 3).

(3) COM(2003) 749 final.