The European Commission will adopt new guidelines this week regulating the use of embryos in EU-funded research in a move aimed at heading off a ban on the controversial technology, an EU spokesman said today.
Since the start of the year, no European Union funds have been given to scientists involved in creating embryos to carry out stem cell research.
"The research moratorium finishes at the end of 2003 and we want to have comprehensive guidelines in place," said European Commission Research spokesman, Mr Fabio Fabbi.
The EU executive is expected to adopt the proposal on Wednesday but it needs the approval of member states and the European Parliament to become law. This is expected for the end of the year, Mr Fabbi said.
Scientists say the research could yield cures for diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. But opponents argue that the scientists are "playing God" and that the new technology will end in designer babies and human cloning.
Stem cells are the master cells of the body, able to grow into other types of cells. One way of obtaining them is by therapeutic cloning - creating embryos which can be mined for their stem cells.
"The idea is not to encourage the creation of new embryos but the use of ones already existing," Mr Fabbi said.
When couples undergo fertility treatment, extra embryos are created to aid chances of pregnancy. The left-over embryos are either destroyed or frozen.
The EU executive wants to encourage the use of such stored embryos rather than the creation of new ones.