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“Deep concern” about the proposal adopted by the European Parliament to grant EU funds to research that entails the destruction of human embryos has been expressed by the Commission of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe ( Comece) in a statement put out on 19 November, immediately after hearing news of the proposal. “We are deeply concerned by the proposal of the European Parliament declares the communiqué of the general secretary of COMECE, Msgr. Noel Treanor which weakens the ethical guidelines proposed by the Commission on the funding of research on stem cells derived from human embryos. Such research he continues raises moral problems and that’s why many member states don’t permit it and oppose its funding”. The European Parliament itself, says Treanor, “is divided and a considerable number of MEPs voted both to exclude funding and to prevent any further destruction of human embryos”. The proposal, adopted by 291 votes in favour, 235 against and 12 abstentions, “removes in fact the condition fixed by the Commission, which established that only embryos created after 27 June 2002 may be used, and therefore destroyed, to obtain embryonal stem cells. This involves explains Treanor the indirect risk of funding the creation of human embryos to obtain new stem cells with EU funds”. “Each human life begins from the moment of its conception and must not be violated. That’s why we oppose the destruction of any human embryo”, concludes Treanor, who makes an appeal: “we ask the Council of Ministers, on which the final decision on the proposal rests, at its next meeting in Brussels on 27 November, not to ratify the use of EU funds for any research that entails the destruction of human embryos”.
