Spanish Policy (last updated 2007)

The Law on Biomedical Research (2007) allows for research on embryos for therapeutic and research purposes. The creation of embryos specifically for research is prohibited, as set out in this extract from the act’s preamble:

- In accordance with the gradualist perspective on the protection of human life set out by our Constitutional Court in rulings such as 53/1985, 212/1996 and 116/1999, this Law expressly prohibits the creation of human pre-embryos and embryos exclusively for the purpose of experimentation. However, the use of any technique for collecting embryonic stem cells for therapeutic or research purposes that does not entail the creation of a pre-embryo or of an embryo exclusively for this purpose, and in the terms provided by this Law, is allowable.

- In relation to the use of supernumerary embryos from assisted human reproduction techniques, the starting point is to be found in Law 14/2006, of May 26, on Assisted Human Reproduction Techniques, which expressly forbids so-called reproductive human cloning.

[“pre-embryo” in the context of this act refers to “an embryo constituted in vitro that is formed by the group of cells that are the result of the progressive division of the egg cell, from the time it is fertilized until 14 days after.”]

This act also regulates stem cell trials and other research involving humans (except clinical trials) and their biological samples, as well as the donation and use of embryos, cells, tissues and organs.

Source: 

http://www.eurostemcell.org/regulations/regulation-stem-cell-research-spain