EU parliament set for clash over stem cell research

STRASBOURG: MEPs had a heated debate about EU regulations on stem cell research on Monday evening, paving the way for a potentially divisive vote on Wednesday.

Debating new proposals on the authorisation of advanced therapies – the use of genetic research to create new cures for diseases such as Alzheimer’s – MEPs were divided over what therapies should and should not be covered by the rules.

Rapporteur Miroslav Mikolasik wants a blanket ban on all therapies developed through stem cell research – a move that has put him into conflict with both the commission and member states.

MEPs on parliament’s environment committee have already rejected Mikolasik’s call for a ban, but he has won support from the legal affairs committee, which claims that allowing member states to decide on whether or not to allow stem cell therapies would contravene EU internal market rules.

Frustrated by Mikolasik’s intransigence, three rebel MEPS – Socialist Dagmar Roth-Behrendt, Liberal Frédérique Ries and Adamos Adamou of the GUE group – put forward their own proposal, agreeing to allow member states to decide on ethical matters.

When commission and member states both gave their backing to the rival report, Mikolasik was incensed that he had been out-manoeuvred.

“This compromise was agreed without my knowledge, and does not have the support of the lead committees or of the rapporteur,” he said on Monday.

But Roth-Behrendt said that Mikolasik had “stopped cooperating with other MEPs at an early stage” when it became clear that there was little support for his proposals, and that his position was stopping the legislation from advancing.

“You should be ashamed of yourself for continuing to delay the approval of this vital piece of legislation,” she said during the plenary debate in Strasbourg.

“Member states who want to be allowed to ban or to endorse genetic therapies should be allowed to do so,” she said.

“The EU has no business trying to legislate on ethical issues,” echoed Ries.

“I have very serious doubts about the intentions of those who cite ethics as a reason for banning certain types of therapies.”

Irish socialist Proinsias De Rossa said that Mikolasik’s amendments calling for stem cell research, the sale of human genetic material and the creation of chimeras to be banned at EU level would leave such issues dangerously unregulated.

Cypriot Marios Matsakis said that some MEPs were acting according to “pseudo-ethical dogmas and misconceptions that have not changed since the middle ages”.

German Green Hiltrud Breyer was almost the only voice in favour of Mikolasik’s report, arguing that “the values of the EU, so recently lauded in the Berlin declaration, are at stake”.

But both the commission and member states have said they would be prepared to back the rebel deal and urged MEPs to use their vote wisely on Wednesday.

“Adoption of the amendments from the legal affairs committee would seriously hamper the chance of agreement with council,” said junior German health minister Klaus Theo Schröder representing the EU presidency. 

“I know that some of you have your doubts, but I call on you to overcome them and allow us to work together to improve patient access to vital new therapies.”

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