Committee chairman recommends rejecting accelerated procedures following stem cell dispute

Brussels, 05 Sep 2002

Chairman of the European Parliament's Industry, external trade, research and energy committee, Carlos Westendorp Y Cabeza is to recommend that Parliament does not accept accelerated procedures under codecision with the Council in future following disagreement between the institutions on stem cell research.

Mr Westendorp will make the recommendation to Parliament President Pat Cox after the Council considered a compromise on human embryonic stem cell research proposed by the Danish Presidency without consulting the Parliament. He is also upset that the Council is refusing to take over the block of compromise amendments agreed on the Sixth Framework programme (FP6) in May and June and transfer them to the specific programmes, which he says the Spanish Presidency pledged to do.

Mr Westendorp will say to Pat Cox that the Parliament cannot be sure the Council will respect all agreements reached between the Council Presidency and the Parliament during negotiations.

At a meeting on 26 August, MEPs accused the Presidency of violating the EU Treaties and codecision rights of the Parliament by proposing a temporary embargo on human embryonic stem cell and human embryo research.

CORDIS RTD-NEWS/© European Communities, 2001