Following years of negotiations, the EU has agreed on new rules governing animal testing in Europe. EU member states met yesterday to sign off on a political agreement paving the way for a new Directive.
The new set of rules will finally replace the hopelessly outdated Directive 86/609/EC on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, which is almost a quarter of a century old.
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the Council’s decision as it moves forward the revision of the outdated Directive but remains concerned that the new EU law does not fully reflect the high level of public concern about the use of animals in experiments and does not go far enough in promoting the use of non-animal alternatives.
The current agreement is the result of a long debate between EU institutions and stakeholders.
A revision of the rules on the use of animals in experiments was urgently required as the 1986 legislation did not take into account new scientific developments, greater knowledge of the physical and behavioural needs of animals and new applications of animal use which called for more stringent regulation. Scientists also increasingly found animal tests to be unreliable.
In addition, the proposed rules move towards better promotion of the 3Rs principle of replacement, reduction and refinement of animal tests, but Eurogroup is very disappointed because of the removal of the obligation to use alternatives to animal tests where they are ‘reasonably and practicably available’. This requirement should be central to all animal experimentation legislation and its removal constitutes a step backward where the EU should have really taken a lead role for the promotion of humane research.
usagnet.com
Source: newsroom - meattradenewsdaily.co.uk
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