Strasbourg, 16/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - In its adoption of the report by German Christian-Democrat Peter Liese, the European Parliament has chosen the route of compromise with the Council on the proposed directive on "quality and safety standards for the donation, collection, control, processing, conservation, storage and distribution of human tissues and cells". It has approved the Council's common position with a handful of amendments negotiated with the Council. The Parliament referred to the fact that this directive will also apply to haematoplastic stem cells of peripheral blood, the umbilical cord and bone marrow; to reproductive cells (ova, spermatozoa); to foetal cells and tissues and to adult and embryonic stem cells. It also reintroduces several first-reading amendments to reinforce traceability. Lastly, the Council accepting wording providing that the Member States "endeavour to guarantee" (instead of "take the necessary measures to encourage") voluntary, unpaid tissue (but not cell) donation. Donors may, however, receive "compensation, to be strictly limited to covering expenditure and inconvenience linked to the donation". Member States must also "endeavour" to guarantee that tissues and cells are collected without lucrative ends. Council has still to adopt this text formally.