EU Parliament adopts report on gene and stem cell therapy

The European Parliament's Environment Committee has adopted a study on the codification of rules and guidelines in the areas of gene therapy, adult stem cell therapy and tissue engineering. The report, authored by Miroslav Mikolasik, a Slovak Member of the European Parliament, is intended to address the lack of common European rules in these fields.

The proposals for action by the European Commission, which will be voted on in a full session of the European Parliament in March, include: the creation of common rules for advanced therapies; the formation of a new Committee in the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) to allow centralized evaluation, authorization, supervision and monitoring; and the goal of ensuring a high level of health and safety.

Embryonic stem cell research is not affected by the proposals, as there is no Europe-wide consensus on the issue. Italy, Poland and Ireland have banned research in this area, while the UK has legalized it. The European Parliament rejected stem cell research from the seventh framework program (Marketletters passim).