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ECEAE – The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments

News

Posted: 01/04/09

Bleak day for animals in laboratories

MEPs ignore public opinion on animal welfare

The ECEAE has reacted with dismay after Members of the Agriculture Parliamentary Committee today voted out measures that would have afforded greater protection to animals in laboratories.

Members of the European Parliament, heavily lobbied by the multi-billion pound animal research industry, have not only gone against public opinion but have undermined proposals originally put forward by the EU Commission to make major long over-due improvements in animal welfare during the revision of the 20 year old EU legislation governing animal experiments.

Claims made by Neil Parish MEP, the parliament’s draftsman of the proposals, that the directive will result in improved animal welfare and set the framework to allow the EU to move towards the goal of ending animal experimentation will mislead the public into believing that this is a great day for animals in laboratories.

The opposite is the case as the outcome of today’s vote will result in:

• the continued use of wild-caught monkeys and the weakening of a proposed ban on the use of great apes

• severe and prolonged suffering

• repeated re-use of the same animal

• animals such as primates, cats and dogs to be used in experiments, even in principle, for trivial purposes

• no requirement for official approval for experiments, and the suffering they cause, in the vast majority of cases

• a highly secretive system

with little information for the public

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The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) is Europe’s leading alliance peacefully campaigning on behalf of laboratory animals. Formed in 1990 by animal organisations across Europe to successfully campaign to ban cosmetics testing on animals, the Coalition now leads campaigning on all animal experimentation issues in Europe. The European Coalition draws together organisations with a range of legislative, scientific and political expertise working with parliamentarians, Commission officials and EU citizens to effect change for laboratory animals. Find out more http://www.eceae.org/

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional |