Funding shake-up urged

years. By the autumn of 2005, both the scientific and the political context of such a convention may be different. By then, the Bush administration, which had acted against the clear recommendation of its National Academy may have been replaced. And the German government may have managed to win the backing of its own parliament in this important question. The German government also got a boost last month from a vote in the European parliament to allow European Union funds to be spent on stem cell research in spite of bitter opposition from some campaign groups. The move puts pressure on member governments to free between 40 and 50 million euros for studies to use cells from human embryos. MEPs voted by 291 to 235 to support new quality and safety standards for ‘the manipulation of tissues and cells’ after intense lobbying by patient groups and medical researchers. The highly divisive issue split the parliament down the middle earlier this year. However the landmark decision is not binding and the last word will remain with member states. They will ultimately decide whether to lift a moratorium that prevents cash from Brussels being spent on such experiments. Sweden, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands and Britain allow harvesting stem cells from socalled supernumerary embryos — ones that are the result of in vitro fertilization — under certain conditions. Britain is the only EU country at present that allows the creation of embryos for stem cell procurement. Some Catholic countries such as Italy, Portugal and Austria may continue to oppose the proposals. ‘No country is forced to do anything they believe is wrong but ethical issues are matters for national parliaments to decide,’ said David Bowe, a Labour MEP.