At the 24 July 2006 Council meeting, Austria, Lithuania, Malta, Poland and Slovakia wished to put an end to EU funding for embryonic stem cell research, whereas Germany, Italy and Slovenia changed their initial negative position after assurances that no EU money would be granted to activities causing the destruction of embryos. 

Some think that EU's positive attitude towards this type of research could increase brain drain of scientists with an interest in stem cell research from the United States, where President Bush has used his veto to ban federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. 

However, the co-ordinator of the EuroStemCell project, Professor Austin Smith, underlines, in his interview with Cordis News, that the ban of federal funding in the US does not make embryonic stem cell research illegal in the US and that the individual States, such as California, have their own stem cell funding initiatives, and private companies are free to carry out their own research.

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