” “One European citizen out of two expects biotechnology to deliver "significant results to improve living standards". This is suggested by the latest survey by Eurobarometer that was published today and that will be on the agenda of an international meeting on Thursday June 22nd in Brussels. According to the figures provided by Eurobarometer, the EU citizens have "great expectations from research" and "are in favour of the application of biotechnology when it is clearly targeted to improving human health". They are more sceptical, instead, about farming experiments, until their "advantages for consumers" are proven; 58% of the interviewees think it is pointless to promote the development of genetically-modified foodstuffs. They also confirm they confide "in the EU’s prescriptive laws" in all of these areas. In the delicate sphere of research on cells, "wide consensus exists (65%) on the use of stem cells from the umbilical cord", but over one half of the sample is also in favour of research involving embryo cells.” “
