Brussels, 17/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - Following the “Right to Water” petition, “One of Us” has become the second European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) to have collected a million signatures.
The “One of Us” citizens' initiative is one of the very first initiatives launched in Europe. It calls on the European Union to stop funding research involving the destruction of human embryos. Around €50 million has been provided for research involving the destruction of human embryos over the 2007-2013 period. The organisers of the campaign say that “the question is whether this very controversial budget should be renewed” as part of the research and innovation framework programme, Horizon 2020 (research budgets for the 2014-2020 period). The “One of Us” initiative is also demanding that European funding should no longer be granted to certain non-governmental organisations that promote “sexual and reproductive health” (a neutral term that also covers abortion) in developing countries.
This citizens' initiative has received €50,000 in funding from the Italian Vita Nova Foundation, active in the fight against abortion and for embryo protection. The initiative is based on the European Court of Justice Brüstle ruling of 18 October 2011, which prevents any patenting of procedures using stem cells obtained from human embryos.
The signatures will be presented to the European Commission and, in the three months after presentation, the Commission is obliged to meet organisers to examine the demand. The latter may also present their initiative during a public hearing organised at the European Parliament. The European Commission will then have to provide an official response, either presenting a legislative proposal backing the citizens' initiative or explaining why it will not be doing so. (LC/transl.fl)