” “"It is clear that the majority of Parliament is not in favour of funding" research on stem cells involving the destruction of embryos. The group of MEPs who intend to put to the vote the two amendments to the Seventh Framework Program on Research, on November 30th, explains in a note: "On June 15th, at a first reading the Niebler amendment failed to pass just because of 19 votes, but 34 MEPs voted against it or did not vote at all, not to allow the EU to fund the destruction of human embryos, but on the contrary because that amendment sounded too permissive to them". So, now about twenty of them signed a statement, in which they express "great regret that a law that is even more ethically questionable than the Niebler amendment has been passed". "These facts prove that on that day the real majority of Parliament would have preferred to find at least a stricter solution than the one that won. We think the Commission and the Council should take this situation into account", in order to "introduce in the specific programs solutions that are as close as possible to the ethical aspiration that we represent". According to the promoters, "the small amendments that are to be made in the law will not slow down the final approval of the Program and therefore they will not hinder support to European research as a whole". ” ” ” “
