EU/CLONING: British decision leads to strong reservations in other Member States

19/08/2000 (Agence Europe) - The British proposal of allowing, under certain conditions, human cloning for therapeutic purposes (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.2) has led to negative reactions in certain EU Member States. Thus, in Germany, questioned on the radio, Health Minister Andrea Fischer warned against any "hasty decision", and stressed the need to "weigh up the pros and cons of the possible dangers": according to her, the argument by which one could, thanks to human cloning, treat illnesses like Alzheirmer's or Parkinson's is inadequate. Research allows for other alternatives than the use of embryos, she said. In Italy, it is the minister for relations with Parliament, Patrizia Toja, who defined the British position as being "very, very serious". Furthermore, Antonio Tajani, Forza Italia MEP, asked Romano Prodi to intervene, whereas Emma Bonino MEP dissociated herself from the criticism of Tony Blair, stating that legislation was "the best guarantee against the Far West" in this field.

As for Noelle Lenoir, Chair of the European Ethical Committee (which has to decide on these issues on 15 November), she told "Liberation" that "the British decision raises the problem of the use of the embryo an almost industrial level".

You may recall that Article 3.2 of the EU's Draft Charter of Fundamental Rights (see EUROPE/Documents No. 2202, published on 4 August) provides for "prohibition of the reproductive cloning of human beings" and that, in the recommendation of the British experts, that still need approving by Parliament, cloning for reproductive purposes remains banned.

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