The Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (which is responsible for considering ethical issues) will be debating and voting on the European Commission’s proposals for the next research funding round, known as Horizon 2020 on 18^th September.

Their appointed Rapporteur, Polish MEP Piotr Borys has drafted an Opinion report[1] calling for research using embryonic stem cells to be added to the list of activities which will not be funded by the EU. He is basing his recommendation on a landmark judgment in October 2011 by the European Court of Justice[2]  which ruled that any processes involving the use of such cells could not be patented in Europe because of its interpretation both of the requirements of the relevant EU Directive[3]  and its judgment that such activity would be in breach of respect for human dignity and therefore contrary to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights[4].

Please consider writing to MEPs who belong to this Committee asking them to support Piotr Borys’ proposals when they vote on Sept 18^th.  The British MEPs involved are: Sajjad Karim (Conservative, North-West of England); Rebecca Taylor (Liberal Democrat, Yorkshire & the Humber); Gerard Batten (UKIP, Greater London);  Mary Honeyball (Labour, Greater London).

Click here to find out how to contact these MEPs. (Click on the name of the region to get details of MEPs from that region.)

Prayer: Please pray that the Legal Affairs Committee would vote to prohibit the use of money in its next research funding round from being used to create and destroy human embryos.