By Alix Kroeger BBC European Union reporter, Strasbourg

The cells are drawn from human embryos

Only a tiny proportion of EU science funding for 2007-13 will go to stem cell research, under current plans.

But it is a controversial issue, and Catholic MEPs from new member states could bolster the ranks of opponents.

The cells are drawn from human embryos and can be used to duplicate different types of tissue.

Critics say most stem cells are taken from embryos which have the potential to become human beings and that it is wrong to use them for experiments.

The European Commission wants to keep the same policy - which funds some stem cell research but not the use of cloned stem cells - for the next six-year framework research programme.

However, there could be greater opposition now from MEPs from Catholic countries like Poland and Slovakia, which joined the EU after the last research programme was decided.

Only three countries, Britain, Sweden and Belgium, allow research using cloned stem cells.

A survey by the European Federation of Neurological Associations of 5,411 EU citizens found 83% thought public funding should be used for human embyronic stem cell research.

The survey also found 84% do not think patients are sufficiently involved in the debate on stem cell research.