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Strasbourg (pte038/10.04.2003/13:58) - The European Parliament http://www.europarl.eu.int is to vote on EU-wide regulations regarding cloning and stemcell research today. It is assumed that voting "yes" or "no" on cloning for reproduction purposes, and also the so-called "therapeutic cloning", will be divided. At the moment, both procedures are only allowed in Britain under strict criteria. The president of the Royal Society, Lord Robert May, says in criticism of a European consensus, "Harmonisation in Europe is neither a realistic nor a necessary goal."
Advocates of stemcell research see it as a key to the curing of such diseases as Alzheimer or Parkinsons. Opposers believe such research to be unethical and want it to be banned. According to the laws that will be voted on in Strasbourg, cloning for reproduction purposes and research using embryo stemcells will be restricted. New guidelines for the acquisition of a practicing licence will also be issued, said the BBC. Critics maintain that this will make research too expensive. In order to uphold the final laws, members of the EU parliament will all have to acknowledge and accept them.
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