European Union Bans Animal Testing Using Great Apes: Also Puts Restrictions on Using Other Primates and Requires Non-Animal Methods When Possible

The title says it all. Wow. As stated below, “The new legislation also places significant restrictions on testing on other primates and requires that non-animal methods be used whenever possible.”

Any change, be it small or large can lead to more. Celebrate this one and use it to cause more change to occur.

However, the fight is not over. As also stated in the article below, an important question is asked about the fate of chimpanzees in a New Mexico torture facility: “This is an exciting development—but it also raises a question: In light of this humane advance, how can the U.S. government justify its plans to transfer more than 200 “retired” chimpanzees from a facility in New Mexico to a research laboratory in Texas, where they’ll probably be forced to endure cruel experiments?”

Article:

VICTORY: EU BANS TESTING ON GREAT APES!

http://animalrightscollective.wordpress.com/2010/09/09/victory-eu-bans-testing-on-great-apes/

September 9, 2010, 11:23 pm

Filed under: AR News, News, Video | Tags: primate testing, great apes, EU bans great ape testing

From The PETA Files:

There’s great news from across the Atlantic, where the European Union has voted to ban the use of great apes in experiments. The new legislation also places significant restrictions on testing on other primates and requires that non-animal methods be used whenever possible.

This is an exciting development—but it also raises a question: In light of this humane advance, how can the U.S. government justify its plans to transfer more than 200 “retired” chimpanzees from a facility in New Mexico to a research laboratory in Texas, where they’ll probably be forced to endure cruel experiments?

There is no excuse for it, of course, so please help us persuade officials to permanently retire the chimpanzees to a sanctuary.

Posted by Jeff Mackey

New EU Rules on Animal Testing Ban Use of Apes

from AFP

STRASBOURG — Europe banned the use of great apes in animal testing Wednesday as part of drastically tightened rules to scale back the number of animals used in scientific research.

After two years of heated debate on how to protect animal welfare without scuppering scientific research, the new limits, updating regulations from 1986, were adopted by the European Parliament despite objections from Green MEPs.

Under the new legislations, experiments on great apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are to be banned and “strict” restrictions set on the use of primates in general.

Members of the 27-nation bloc, who are given two years to comply with the rules, also need “to ensure that whenever an alternative method is available, this is used instead of animal testing.”

And they must work at “reducing levels of pain inflicted on animals.”

Proponents of the abolition of animal testing objected that the new rules failed to go far enough.

“Animals will still be used as guinea pigs,” said the Greens in a statement. “They will still suffer pain.”

“It is possible to reduce the number of animals used for science without hindering research,” added Belgian Green Isballe Durant.

But Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli dubbed it “a good compromise on a difficult topic.”

“Today we have the chance to bring the EU to the forefront by caring for animals and protecting science,” he said.

Other MEPs said the demands of scientific research came over and above animal welfare.

“An animal’s an animal and a human being’s a human being,” said Italian conservative Herbert Dorfmann.

“Medical progress is crucial to humanity and unfortunately, to achieve this progress there must be animal testing.”

The legislation notably allows the use of primates in testing illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, cancer or Parkinson’s disease if there is scientific evidence that the research cannot be achieved without using these species.

To avoid repeated suffering by an animal, it lists different categories of pain that may be inflicted during a test (non-recovery, mild, moderate or severe) and proposes that the same animals be reused only if the pain is classed as “moderate,” and provided a vet is consulted.

At the moment some 12 million animals are used each year in scientific experiments in the EU.

The legislation calls for government inspections on a third of national laboratories that use animals, some of which must be unannounced.

Last year the European Union banned the testing of animals for developing cosmetics, except for long-running toxicology tests which will be banned altogether in 2013.

Europe and EU Move Toward Law to Limit Animal Testing / Vivisection: Also Prohibit Animal Testing on Great Apes - Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Orangutans

Any move toward this goal is positive. And, it would be unprecedented to ban the use of Great Apes, which truly would be a move for history. We can only wait and see (and hope).

Article:

Europe moves towards limits on animal experimentation

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jzZ316kepLoKNJoPVeD04DrTWjiQ

(AFP) – 2 days ago

BRUSSELS — Europe moved on Tuesday towards setting strict limits on scientific experiments on animals, with representatives of the EU nations approving the move.

The agreed text, released Tuesday, speaks of the need for "strengthening the protection of animals whilst allowing research to continue playing a key role in the fight against diseases."

It still requires the backing of the European parliament, likely to happen in September, before the law is officially adopted.

Under the new rules experiments on great apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans will be prohibited altogether.

There is a caveat that would allow member states to approve "exceptionally" the use of great apes if it is essential for the survival of the species itself or because of an unexpected outbreak of a life-threatening or debilitating disease in humans.

Also under the draft rules, the 27 EU nations would have to ensure that experiments with animals are replaced "wherever possible" by an alternative method which is "scientifically satisfactory".

Also the number of animals used in projects will have to be reduced to a minimum "without compromising the quality of results," as the search for cures for cancers, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease etc continues.

The new rules will also limit the degree of pain and suffering caused to animals to the minimum.

As a general rule, animals taken from the wild will not be allowed to be used in experiments.

The measure was formally agreed without debate by education ministers, with only the German delegation abstaining, according to the European Commission.

At the moment some 12 million animals are used each year in scientific experiments in the EU.

According to experts, current scientific knowledge does not allow a complete phase-out of animal experimentation, the commission said.

The draft law describes animals as "sentient creatures" with "an intrinsic value in themselves which must be respected."

Last year the European Union banned the testing of animals for developing cosmetics, except for long-running toxicology tests which will be banned altogether in 2013.

The Eurogroup for Animals said the proposed law change was a step forward but "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."

"We believe that the compromise reached between the EU institutions is a positive step forward but still not the U-turn needed to adequately protect animals used in research," said the group's director Sonja Van Tichelen.

Animal rights activists see too many caveats and possible loopholes in the text, in particular a "safeguard clause" which allows rules in the future law to be bypassed where "a member state has justifiable grounds for believing that action is essential."

That clause was included to appease European officials who fear the laws are too strict.

At the same time the European proposals allow an EU nation to impose its own tougher rules on animal experimentation.