Here is major categorization

Permissive:

This policy allows various embryonic stem cell derivation techniques including somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), also called research or therapeutic cloning.

SCNT is the transfer of a cell nucleus from a somatic or body cell into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed.

United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden, Iran, Israel, India, Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea and  South Africa follow a permissive policy.

Flexible

This policy permits fertility clinic donations only, excluding SCNT, and often under certain restrictions. Research is permitted only on remaining embryos no longer needed for reproduction.

Examples are Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Taiwan

Somewhat restrictive

research permitted on imported embryonic stem cell lines only or on a limited number of previously established stem cell lines.

Germany, Italy, United States

Very restrictive

This generally means a banned research.

Austria, Ireland, Norway, Poland follow this.

To know more about it visit http://www.isscr.org/public/regions/index.cfm

Stem cells are surrounded by controversies

Embryonic stem cells have been center of controversies. The issue s involved are legal, ethical, religious and moral. As it involves area surrounding human reproduction, it is natural to get much attention and opinion from all authorities and fields just like contraception, abortion, and in vitro fertilization.

Actually it is the way society takes this issue of human life and the moral and legal status of the human embryo.

Greatest objection to embryonic stem cell research comes from the fact that research deprives a human embryo of any further potential to develop into a complete human being.

It amounts to killing of  life  of  a human being and killing humans for treating humans is not justified. But even society does not universally agrees when an embryo can be called live.

Let us look at this

Eggs and sperm mixed together in a petri dish have no legal status, because they are not even part of a human being unless implanted in a woman’s womb.

In Jewish law and tradition the embryo has no moral status until 40 days after implantation.

Muslim tradition accords legal and moral status to the fetus only after ensoulment  at the end of the fourth month of pregnancy.

Catholic Church, requires that human life be protected at the earliest possible time starting from conception

Most accept embryonic stem cell research.

Thus we have a spectrum of people from complete ban to selective use of embryonic stem cells. Some maintain that laboratory cultures can be used but embryos from womb should not be taken while  other attach a time before which fetus can be killed for a noble purpose.

No doubt he issue is complex and demands evolution of science and society as well.