Blogging About Critters Since 2007

Friday, May 15, 2009

Millions of Animals Used in EU Experiments

Awful.

From the Epoch Times....
Around 12 million animals are used each year in the European Union (EU) for research purposes. This became clear from a report addressed at the European Parliament (EP) session on May 5–7, which seeks to vote on a directive concerning animal research. If the directive is approved, the number of animals used for experiments will be limited, and the animals’ welfare will be improved in accordance with ethical principles of the EU concerning animals.

At the same time, the opinion of the European Parliament is that these objectives have to be achieved without impeding research on various serious diseases in Europe, reported the parliament’s press room.

According to the Members of Parliament (MPs), who adopted the report on its first review last week, all planned tests should be subject to mandatory ethical assessments to take into account the concerns of the public on the matter. The European Parliament approves of the ban on testing on large primates (chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans), which are threatened with extinction, except in experiments aimed at conservation of these endangered species.


I really hope this passes. My personal philosophy is that millions of animals shouldn't suffer on anyone's behalf, especially when they do so against their will. I'm sorry, but these are living beings that should be respected, not treated like toilet paper that you casually flush after use.

1 comment:

Andrew said...

Hi Ana,

As you already know from the discussion on my blog earlier this week, I too hope the directive passes.

Although (as you know) I am not personally against the use of animal testing per se, I do think that animals as living creatures made by god, should be treated with a level of basic respect, and that the use of animals for scientific purposes is not something which should be practiced unless it is absolutely necessary and there is no other method by which the scientific hypothesis concerned can be tested in a reliable fashion.

From what I have read about the EU directive, it seems to reflect a common sense approach toward animal welfare without placing undue limitations upon the process of scientific discovery.

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