” “"The vote on the Seventh Framework Program for Research, due in late November, might not happen after all. In June we did not have a shared, effective strategy, one that we are going to build today". The MEP Carlo Casini launches from Strasbourg a new course of action "so that the EU will not fund destructive tests on human embryos". At a press conference held this morning, Casini was with MEPs from different countries, such as the promoters Patrizia Toia, Hiltrud Breyer, Mario Mauro, Roberta Angelilli. The "cross-party" alliance intends to submit two amendments to article 6 of the Program, "fit for ruling out in the future the EU funding of the destruction of human embryos for testing purposes". Such amendments also establish that "the statement made on July 24th by the Commission, which committed itself not to fund plans involving the destruction of embryos, should be made clear and unambiguous". "For this statement to be true, the stage at which the embryo cells are derived from the embryos should not be funded, and also separated in its timing and purpose from the stage at which the extracted cells are tested. This assumes that those plans using cells derived from embryos destroyed after the date of approval of the Seventh Framework Program should not be funded". (to be continued)” “
