Swiss voters are expected to endorse tight government legislation on stem cell research on Sunday which would forbid the cloning of human embryos and put Switzerland on a par with other continental European countries.

As in the Netherlands and Spain, Berne’s proposals would allow scientists to extract stem cells from unwanted embryos to use in research into diseases. However, the rules are not as liberal as those in Britain or Belgium where cloning to extract cells is allowed.

The Swiss will cast their vote on the legislation in one of the country’s regular referenda Sunday. In a recent survey, 52 percent of voters were in favor of the proposals and 30 percent were against, with the remainder uncertain.

Supporters say stem cell research offers the chance to better understand conditions such as Parkinson’s’, Alzheimer’s’ or diabetes and so come closer to developing treatments.

Opponents, including Christian doctors and the Greens, wish to ban research on human cells arguing that it involves taking human lives as the embryos are eventually destroyed.

Stem cells are master cells of the body as they can develop into other cell types. Stem cells from embryos are more flexible than those found in adults and researchers hope to use them to generate replacement cells and tissues.

NO CARTE BLANCHE

While U.S. lawmakers grapple with national legislation, EU countries have adopted differing laws, against which Switzerland’s proposals appear relatively conservative.

“Swiss researchers will not be granted carte blanche,” pro-stem cell campaigner and politician Geraldine Savary said in a press release. “In international comparison, Switzerland will have strict, consistent and broadly-accepted rules.”

England and Belgium have the most liberal policies and both countries grant licenses to clone human embryos as a source of the cells. The Netherlands, France, Denmark and Spain allow research on embryos left from over artificial reproduction.

Germany and Austria allow research only on imported cells.

Supporters in Switzerland, home to drugmakers Novartis and Roche, acknowledged the techniques were far from being used in pharmaceutical laboratories but warned a “no” vote could damage research in Switzerland.

“It will be a while before this becomes an issue for the companies,” Sara Kaech of industry lobby group Interpharma said. “The vote does however have a high importance for universities and institutes and therefore indirectly for the pharmaceutical industry.”