Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 409: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the concerns of Austria, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland and Slovakia, who welcome the seventh EU research framework programme but who do not agree that funding from this programme, which comes from all member states, including Ireland, can be used for consumption or destruction of human embryos; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14227/06]

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 410: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to concerns that the seventh EU research framework programme does not take sufficiently into account the therapeutic potential of human adult stem cells; and his views on such concerns. [14228/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 and 410 together.

In April 2005, the Commission published its proposal for the seventh framework programme, FP7, which will cover the period 2007 to 2013. Consideration of the Commission's proposal, which involves co-decision procedures with the European Parliament, is still under way. In this regard, divergent views exist among member states on the question of the Community funding human embryonic stem cell research.

The Commission's proposal for FP7 represents a "no change" policy from FP6 and the core principle of ethical subsidiarity is guaranteed. A large number of member states can support the Commission proposal on this issue. Some member states, including Ireland, have not yet established or presented their definitive positions while Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Malta, Luxembourg and Slovakia are currently opposed to the proposal. At this stage, the Presidency has not put forward any compromise text. The views of all member states will be taken into account in finalising Ireland's position in this matter.

Under FP6 the funding of ethically sensitive projects is dealt with through a process of ethical review. In summary, all such projects are submitted to a rigorous four stage process before being funded — national ethical review, European scientific evaluation, European ethical review and consideration by a committee of member states. The scientific evaluation also assesses whether the use of human embryonic stem cells is necessary to achieve the scientific objectives set forth in the project. At this stage in FP6 more than 90% of the research projects where stem cells are involved concern adult stem cells. Only eight projects have been approved using human embryonic stem cells. Ireland is not involved in any of these projects. The "no change" policy approach proposed for FP7 will similarly take into account the therapeutic potential of human adult stem cells.

EU research programmes do not fund in a member state, under any circumstances, anything that is not legal or is deemed unethical in that particular member state.