Europe confronts the embryonic stem cell research challenge

Europe's historic plurality and the lack of a commonly accepted definition of the moral status of the embryo have led to varying regulation in European countries. Council of Europe and European Union legislation, based on fundamental ethical principles, does exist for specific issues, such as prohibition against producing embryos solely for research. Such principles have recently been elucidated by the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies. Newly emerging research techniques are beginning to cause reconsideration of the regulation of embryo research in Europe.