Blogging About Critters Since 2007

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

EU Bans Use of Great Apes in Animal Research

Some may disagree, but I think this is a huge victory. I wish we could do the same here in the US, but I highly doubt it...especially considering that Congress may go Republican in November.

From the AFP...

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."

1 comment:

Andrew Heaton said...

Ana,

I think that this is a positive development.

I like the broad direction in which the EU seems to be heading with regard to animal testing. Whilst there may be a limited number of instances where it is necessary and appropriate, animal testing should be minimised and every effort should be made to ensure that the animals affected are spared as much pain as possible.

blog stats