At a Press Conference in the Senate Dirksen Building with Senator Sam Brownback and Cong. Dave Weldon
I thank you very much for the opportunity to speak at this important press conference. I want to thank you for your interest and I want to thank Senator Brownback and Congressman Dr. Dave Weldon for hosting this meeting.
Dr. med.
Peter Liese
Europabüro Brüssel
Rue Wiertz, 10 E 153
1047 Brüssel
Tel. 00322/2847981
Fax 00322/2849981
E-Mail: pliese@europarl.eu.int
WWW: http://www.peter-liese.de
We have a worldwide debate on the cloning of human beings and research with human embryos. I think as far as possible we need worldwide solutions and answers. That is why I find it very important to have a transatlantic dialogue. Even though Europe is in many areas weaker than the United States, it is definitively the 2nd leading biotechnology region in the world after the United States. So I think we need a common answer to these challenges. That's why I support very much the initiative of your government, Spain, Italy and others for a global ban on human cloning at the level of the United Nations. This is not only my personal position, but it is the position that the European Parliament repeatedly adopted.
In the U.S., you are often confronted with the argument that this research is accepted in other parts of the world, and the United Kingdom is often mentioned as an example. But in fact, the UK is the only country in Europe where the government clearly supports the so-called therapeutic cloning.
In many European countries like Germany, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Norway and Poland, any kind of research which destroys embryos is prohibited by law. Even in the Netherlands, a country normally considered very liberal, the Parliament adopted a law to ban the cloning of human embryos. The Council of Europe, which includes not only the 15 EU member states, but more than 40 countries including Russia and Turkey, adopted a convention on biomedicine which prohibits the creation of human embryos for research purposes.
In the Press Packet are excerpts from decisions of the European Parliament concerning the 6th research framework programme and the proposal on the quality and safety of human tissue and cells.
In Europe, not only Conservatives and pro-life groups are against research with embryos, but also a lot of feminists oppose it. They argue that the woman's body should not be commercialised, as embryo research and especially therapeutic cloning are not possible without women who donate their eggs. In addition, many handicap and patient organisations are very critical of this research. The Green Party, which is normally very liberal concerning abortion, strongly opposes research with human embryos. Even some research and medical organisations in Europe are against human cloning and creation of human embryos for research, for example, the German Research Community (DFG) and the German Medical Association (BAEK) officially oppose all human cloning.
It is unimaginable in Europe that people who call themselves "pro-life" support research which destroys the embryo. All pro-life organisations definitely oppose it. On the contrary, a lot of people who are not for strict penalty rules against abortion also oppose embryo research.
From a commercial point of view one can not say that those countries which have liberal regulations on embryo research are more successful. In fact, the country with the strictest regulations on embryo research (Germany) has the fastest growing biotechnology sector in Europe.
In Europe it is difficult to understand from outside why the U.S. government supports a global ban on all human cloning when it doesn't have any ban at home. For the general public in Europe it is difficult to explain that the problem is finding a majority in the Senate and that this is a legal question between the states and the federal government. Some are skeptical the U.S. government is not really serious on this question. Because of my good relationship to friends in the United States I definitely understand the case and I have a lot of trust in President Bush on this particular question. On the other hand, I have to say that the day the U.S Senate accepts the cloning ban introduced by Senator Brownback, it will be more likely that Germany, France and other European countries support a United Nations global ban on human cloning.
I want you also to understand that some in the German and French government don*t follow the position of the German and French parliaments. The approach of some members of the German government to try to isolate the Bush administration in the United Nations is definitely not supported by the majority of the people and the majority of the German parliament. In February the German 'Bundestag' adopted a resolution by a large majority (80%), in which the government was asked to join the US/Spanish/Italian proposal. Unfortunately, Chancellor Schröder and his government did not implement the German parliament's decision, because Chanceller Schröder is in favour of therapeutic cloning. Those who favour therapeutic cloning in the United States have to accept that their only important supporter of therapeutic cloning in Germany is Gerhard Schröder, who is normally not a friend of the U.S.
The European Parliament repeatedly voted for a total ban on human cloning. We repeated this in November last year and just recently on the 10th of April, when we discussed the report on cells and tissues. The European Parliament adopted an amendment which would lead to a European ban on all cloning of human embryos. The European Union is not the 'United States of Europe', so the question what can be regulated on a European Union level and what by the Member States is much more important than in the United States. It doesn't change the situation that the majority of the Member States is against all kind of cloning and that the European Parliament is strongly against it and asks for a European and worldwide ban.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
What happens in the United States has a big influence on what happens in Europe. From my point of view, the US has a big responsibility. The US will always be the leading nation in biotechnology in the world - with or without public funding on embryonic stem cells and with or without a ban on cloning of human embryos. The US should not only be number 1 in economical terms, but also number 1 in ethics and morality.
Thank you very much.
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