The vote by the Europarliamentarians (MEPs) could now see this type of research outlawed across the European Union. It is now legal in the United Kingdom but is banned in some other member states.
MEPs will have to vote on the proposed new law again before it can come into effect, reported BBC. The law would also require the support of individual member states.
The officials voted in favor of a proposed directive aimed at banning all human cloning, both for reproductive and so-called therapeutic purposes, and restrict any research which involves the destruction of surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization.
British pro-lifers were delighted by the vote.
Paul Tully, general secretary of the Society for the Protection of Unborn (SPUC), said in a statement: «We applaud MEPs for their stand in support of the dignity of the human embryo today, which is in marked contrast to the morally bankrupt position of our own government.»
«The message sent out by MEPs today is a clear one: Scientific research must conform to ethical standards and fundamental moral principles,» Tully said.
