Animals used in scientific experiments to enjoy greater protection (Newark Liberal Democrats)

Newark Liberal Democrats <info@newarklibdems.org.uk>

Animals used in scientific experiments to enjoy greater protection

September 9, 2010 1:34 AM
Originally published by East Midlands Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat MEP for the East Midlands Bill Newton Dunn has warmly welcomed today's vote by the European Parliament to strengthen EU rules on the welfare of animals used in experiments.

With this vote MEPs gave their approval to a compromise package that is the result of nearly two years of negotiations on the extremely sensitive and controversial topic of use of animals for scientific research and experimentation.

EU governments, the European Parliament and Commission, in consultation with many different stakeholders, have been negotiating the revision of the existing EU legislation dating from 1986. The 20 year-old standards badly needed to be brought up to date with current scientific methods and knowledge on the alternatives to animal testing and how to minimise harm to animals where they must be used.

The difficulty has been to strike balance between both ensuring animal welfare, and allowing for vital medical and other scientific research. Newton Dunn believes this balance has been achieved, and standards have been advanced 20 years as of today:

"Many East Midlands constituents have conveyed to me their strong views on the use of animals in scientific experiments, and I shared the concern that this legislation should promote the highest standards of animal welfare in the EU. I am satisfied that the compromise reached provides animals used in experiments with a very good level of protection, and that it will also greatly reduce the number of animals used for these purposes.

"I am pleased that the Liberal group in the Parliament succeeded in pressing for an absolute limit to the pain an animal may suffer, and an EU inspection of national laboratories where there are grounds for concern.

"The UK and other EU member states with existing standards higher than those being laid down can still retain them, whilst member states lagging behind must now tighten their rules in line with the new legislation."

"However, the opportunity to use animals in research is still vital in some cases, for instance in trying to understand and find cures for some diseases. The new standards will allow this to continue.

"The legislation will be reviewed again in a few years time to keep pace with developments in scientific techniques. With this significant progress secured for animal welfare in Europe, we should now look at other areas where standards are still lagging behind, particularly in the long-distance transportation of live animals for slaughter.