France

THE EUROPEAN UNION agreed with Great Britain's regulations except on the creation of embryos: Article 18 of the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine prohibits creation of human embryos for research purposes. Therapeutic cloning is illegal in Germany, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Norway, and Poland. The Netherlands, which is politically liberal, included a ban in 2003. The Council of Europe—Comprising 15 European Union member states and more than 40 countries, including Russia and Turkey—Adopted a Convention on Biomedicine that prohibits the creation of embryos for research purposes. Stem cell research in France is able to progress as a result of government support with appropriate legislation and funding, strong scientific research foundation, public support of biomédical research, and international cooperative relationships and partnerships.

Human embryonic ...