BRUSSELS, Belgium - Members of the European Parliament who support stem cell research are angry at what they are calling "a betrayal" by European Union member state governments. They are accusing member states of effectively imposing an embargo on stem cell research.

The Parliament's committee on industry and research, which has been a staunch backer of biotechnology innovation over recent years, met Monday for the first time after the summer recess, and denounced a last-minute deal reached behind closed doors by member states just before the summer break. What has angered parliamentarians is that EU governments backed away from allowing immediate EU funding of stem cell research under the EU's new research framework program.

The reason for the ire is that Parliament has only just found out how the final deal was done. In late July, the EU Council of Ministers put the final touches on the rules for the framework program, which had been going through the EU legislative machinery for two years. In order to avoid a confrontation with Italy, which had consistently opposed EU support for stem cell research, the ministers decided on a compromise text for that part of the program's rules. The decision states that the EU Council of Ministers must establish by Dec. 31, 2003, detailed implementing provisions concerning bioethical scrutiny of research activities involving the use of human embryos and human embryonic stem cells.

That means that EU funding of such activities will be postponed until then, except in certain specified cases. In September 2003 the Council will have a discussion based on a report by the European Commission. The Danish minister for science, technology and innovation, Helge Sander, defended the decision at the meeting by saying that it did not affect the EU's intention to finance this type of research in the long run but gave the Council time to work out more detailed implementing rules. Meanwhile, the Council decision will not prevent stem cell research with adult cell lines from being funded.

Members of the Parliament committee have accused the Council of violating the EU treaties and the rights of the European Parliament. The chairman of the committee, Spanish socialist Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza, said the temporary embargo on EU funding for human embryonic stem cell and human embryo research "has taken hostage one part of the research world - embryonic stem cell research."

The constitutional legacy of the decision was questioned by several members and the Council was accused of undervaluing Parliament's good faith. The committee decided that it would have the matter discussed at the senior level in Parliament.