| Author (Person) | Carstens, Karen |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.9, No.20, 29.5.03, p2 |
| Publication Date | 28/05/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 28/05/03 By GERMAN MEP Peter Liese has accused member states of undermining key aspects of his report on human tissues and cells which included a call for a ban on creating human embryos for stem cell research. He claims that diplomats preparing for next week's meeting of EU health ministers (2-3 June) are "in the process of rejecting everything", referring to provisions aimed at setting safety and quality standards for the donation, procurement, testing, processing, storage and distribution of human tissues and cells. A key provision seeks to ensure that human tissue donations remain unpaid. "We in the European Parliament do not want people to make a career out of donating cells and tissues, as is already partly the practice in the US," Liese said. "Not only is this unethical, but it exposes patients to considerable health risks." Member state representatives, however, argue that these are ethical questions rather than health matters and not within the EU's competence. Liese claimed that the real reason for the stonewalling was that member states want to avoid a repeat performance of a drawn-out debate that raged over a 1995 blood directive. Liese said the stakes are much higher now: while people were willing to pay €100 for a sample of blood, they would pay thousands of euro for tissue donations. A second reading of his report is due by the end of the year. |
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| Subject Categories | Culture, Education and Research, Health, Values and Beliefs |
