05 November 2008 - Green MEP for the South East and Vice President of the RSPCA Dr Caroline Lucas has called on the European Commission to take immediate action to address the welfare of animals used in experiments after it voted today to adopt its long-delayed legislative proposal on animal testing.

She welcomed the Commission’s decision to adopt the proposal to revise the Directive 86/609/EEC but urged EU officials to halt the endless delays on establishing protective measures and initiate a strategy to begin the replacement of out-dated animal experiments with more modern, non-animal methods.

Dr Lucas MEP, who is also Vice President of the European Parliament’s Animal Welfare Intergroup, commented:

"The existing law on the use of animals in experiments is over 20 years old, so action on this is long overdue. The Commission has been promising to update the animal experiments Directive for years, with publication of the legislative proposal originally expected in 2007.

"Since then, the dossier has stumbled at every hurdle, but the UK Greens have consistently lobbied alongside organisations like the Dr Hadwen Trust for Human Research for tougher legislation. Today’s vote suggests that the Commission might be starting to take its responsibilities on animal protection seriously.

"However, it is regrettable that the proposal falls short on a total ban on the use of great apes in experiments. Furthermore, it contains no quantitative targets for reducing the number of animals used in experiments through the introduction of replacement techniques. The Commission should also introduce compulsory unannounced inspections of testing facilities by national, as well as EU, officials."

Dr Lucas concluded: "In order to adequately respond to public opinion (1), the Commission must dramatically improve standards of animal protection, and increase transparency and accountability in the revision of this Directive.

"More than 12 million animals are used in EU labs each year (2), yet experiments on animals can be unreliable as a guide to human biology and the range of viable alternatives, such as epidemiology, the use of cell cultures, human tissue and computer simulation, is increasing all the time.

"Europe needs to establish a world-leading Centre of Excellence in non-animal research to speed up the development of new techniques, moving away from the era of animal research and bringing a new era of modern science without animal suffering."

"MEPs have to now work together to ensure that the first reading of the Directive is completed well before the European elections in 2009."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

(1) EU citizens have indicated strong support for more ambitious laws to protect animals. A 2005 EUROBAROMETER survey recorded that 82% of EU citizens believe we have a duty "to protect the rights of animals whatever the cost". A 2006 EU Commission survey showed that 93% of respondents believe more needs to be done to improve the welfare/protection of experimental animals and 79% believe there is not EU funding for alternative methods to replace animal experiments.

(2) 12.1 million animals were used in EU experiments in 2005; Fifth Report on the Statistics on the Number of Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes in the Member States of the European Union published 5/11/2007 (these are the most recent EU wide statistics available).