– But European Science Foundation warns of baby cloning in some countries –
EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Aug 10, 2001 (LSN.ca) – The European Commission has announced that it will not finance any projects involving the cloning of humans or stem cell research, expressing hope that all 15 European Union members will forbid work in such areas. In an interview published Thursday in the Financial Times Deutschland. EC research commissioner Philippe Busquin said “cloning has no scientific value and could damage the standing of science as a whole,” reported the Associated Press.
Laws have been passed banning research on stem cells and human embryos in nine European Union member states. The commission has urged the remaining members of the EU to follow suit. “Germany and France, which have been actively pursuing international legislation to ban such research, formally presented a joint initiative to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday pushing for a UN treaty to ban human cloning,” noted AP.
At the same time, however, the European Science Foundation has warned that “the cloning of babies may begin in Europe because six countries out of 21 still lack legislation banning 'reproductive cloning'. The foundation backs 'therapeutic cloning,'” but wants the practice regulated, and supports a ban on reproductive cloning, reported Britain's Daily Telegraph yesterday. Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Poland and Turkey do not outlaw reproductive cloning.