Brussels, 09/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - Although last Friday's COREPER meeting focussed on considering progress to date (ahead of the next meeting on Wednesday) and a decision on specific programmes under the 6th Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP6) at the Competitiveness Council on 30 September, Member States seem to be prepared to face down MEP anger at feeling themselves conned by possible amendments to the specific programmes. Threats from the President of the European Parliament's Industry Committee, Carlos Westendorp, with support of all the political groups, had little impact on the Permanent Representatives, and fourteen Member States seem favourable to approving specific programmes based on a compromise with the reluctance of five Member States to fund research into human stem cells. The compromise does not incorporate all the areas negotiated with the Council in the codecision procedure on FP6, and has been sharply criticised by MEPs, who are considering whether to refuse all negotiations with the Council except in the Conciliation Committee in the future (see Europe of 6 September, p.11).
Europe understands that the European Commission representative told Member States that he was not surprised at the European Parliament's reaction to the announcement of the Council's plan to provisionally freeze EU funding for research on human stem cells until 2004, and to decide on criteria and rules for this type of research in the meantime, without the EP's involvement. (Despite the fact the EP decided against an amendment on ethics in order not to slow down the adoption of the Framework Programme, Ed.) Saying that the political commitment had not been respected, the Commission representatives urged caution on Member States. The Spanish delegation, which had negotiated the agreement with the European Parliament, said that the compromise did not run counter to the commitments that had been made, explaining that under the agreement, the Council had simply committed itself to incorporate the EP's amendments to the specific programmes "as far as possible" (which the EP had agreed not to retable in the FP6 in order to avoid having to go to conciliation). The Italian minister is planning to raise the issue of ethics at the 30 September meeting. Italy was behind renewed discussion of this issue (which had appeared closed) since it is reportedly refusing to accept the compromise since it allows an exception for research into stem cells from cell banks (which exist in France and the UK). Italy wants the exception only to be granted to existing cell banks.