For the last six months Mr del Río has been awaiting approval from the European Union to ship the cloned cells from a laboratory in Austin, Texas where they are being stored at 170 degrees below zero to Spain for implantation into a surrogate cow.

The European commission is now to give that approval under guidelines that allow the cloning of animals provided they are not destined for the plate. Permission has already been given for the cloning of several racehorses to be used for stud purposes.