US embassy cable - 04MADRID3899

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 003899 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/STC, OES/IHA, AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OSCI, SOCI, SP 
SUBJECT: MADRID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TIDBITS 
 
1.  Madrid's ESTH Officer periodically groups together and 
reports ESTH developments that might otherwise "fall below 
the reporting bar."  Key issues will continue to be reported 
via "stand alone" cables.  ESTH Officer Ken Forder welcomes 
feedback at forderk@state.gov. 
 
2.  INDEX: 
 
A.  Policy change on embryonic stem cell research. 
B.  Government plans 25 percent increase in R and D budget. 
C.  Spain's largest private medical research facility opens. 
D.  Inter-ministerial science commission altered. 
 
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A.  POLICY CHANGE ON EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH 
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3.  The Health Ministry announced that in October, the 
Spanish cabinet would issue a Royal Decree Law that would 
permit embryonic stem cell research in Spain.  The new law 
will reportedly allow research only on embryos that were 
stored in "In Vitro" fertility centers prior to November, 
2003 (in keeping with the terms of Spain's November 2003 
Assisted Reproduction Law).  The new law will reportedly 
regulate the conduct of embryonic stem cell research and how 
donor consent must be obtained.  The Royal Decree Law will be 
an interim measure until the overarching Assisted 
Reproduction Law of November 2003 can be amended to permit 
such research, including on embryos placed into storage after 
November, 2003. 
 
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B.  GOVERNMENT PLANS 25 PERCENT INCREASE IN R AND D BUDGET 
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4.  Hoping to keep his campaign promise, President Zapatero 
announced that his 2005 national budget proposal would 
include a 25 percent increase in R and D funding.  Justifying 
his request, Zapatero said the increased funding would 
"permit policies that attract Spanish as well as foreign 
researchers who are working in other countries.  It will 
especially boost research in sectors key to improving 
(Spain's) competitiveness:  pharmaceuticals, space, 
telecommunications, biotechnology, clean energy technologies 
and sustainable development."  In 2002, Spain officially 
spent 0.97 percent of its GNP on R and D.  The EU average is 
reportedly close to 2.0 percent of GDP. 
 
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C.  SPAIN'S LARGEST PRIVATE MEDICAL RESEARCH FACILITY OPENS 
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5.  Spain's largest private medical research center opened 
September 20 at the University of Navarra.  The Research 
Center for Applied Medicine (CIMA) will focus its research 
on:  neurology, in particular Parkinson's and Alzheimer's 
diseases; cardiovascular diseases; oncology; gene therapy; 
and, hepatology.  Over 300 scientists will work on 22 
official projects in the above areas.  70 percent of the 
center's 33 million euro start up costs were financed by the 
private sector.  A consortium of 15 corporations has promised 
to pay over 75 percent of the center's estimated 200 million 
euro operating costs for the 2004-14 period.  The balance of 
the financing will come from research grants (both public and 
private) as well as other forms of public funding.  The 
center's director, Francisco Errasti, said he hoped that many 
Spanish scientists working abroad would come back to Spain to 
work at the center.  The head of the center's gene therapy 
department, Jesus Prieto, ruled out any research with 
embryonic stem cells, saying his team would use only adult 
stem cells. 
 
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D.  INTER-MINISTERIAL SCIENCE COMMISSION ALTERED 
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6.  The Government's Inter-Ministerial Science Research and 
Development and Technological Innovation Commission, which 
was established on May 14 by the then just-elected PSOE 
government, was scrapped in September before even meeting for 
the first time.  The September 3 Royal Decree Law abolishing 
the still-born Commission noted that it would have been 
redundant with the extant Inter-Ministerial Science and 
Technology Commission (CICYT).  The CICYT is charged with 
inter-agency coordination of science and technology-related 
issues that cut across ministerial lines.  The Royal Decree 
Law of September 3 also assigned operational control of the 
CICYT to the newly established Ministry of Education and 
Science and Technology. 
ARGYROS