RSPCA says new EU law could be a threat to UK lab animal welfare

Wednesday, 8 September 2010 12:00 AM

A new European law that raises standards for animals used in research and testing across many EU countries may allow UK rules to be watered down, the RSPCA said today.

The directive, which will regulate the way laboratory animals are used and cared for in experiments throughout the EU's 27 member states, was given the final thumbs-up by the European Parliament today.

It is now up to the UK government to ensure that its own laws meet the minimum requirements of the EU directive. The standards set by the directive are basic standards and the UK already goes further in many areas.

However, the RSPCA is concerned that the government may opt to reduce UK rules to the minimum requirements in the directive, even though it is allowed to keep its current higher standards.

UK standards must not be weakened

RSPCA senior scientist Barney Reed said: "This directive sets out absolute minimum standards for the regulation of laboratory animal care and use. Any attempt by the UK government to use this as a cover for reducing our own laws to this basic level would be inexcusable.

"The RSPCA is urging the government to respect public concerns and at the very least maintain the level of regulation that we currently have, otherwise both animal welfare and UK science will suffer."

The directive should mean a rise in standards in those EU countries which currently have little in the way of animal welfare laws.

For example, the directive explicitly requires the use of humane alternatives to animals wherever possible, and it has better requirements for licensing experiments and training researchers. But - crucially - its effectiveness will depend on how each country implements and enforces the legislation.

High level of public concern

Barney added: "Given the dramatic rise in the number of animals used in UK research and testing in recent years, and the high level of public concern for the suffering these animals experience, any weakening of legislation - or moves towards self-regulation - would be completely unacceptable."

The RSPCA is deeply disappointed that many important provisions included in the original proposed directive, which would have afforded more protection for animals, have either been watered down or lost altogether from the final version.

The RSPCA's main concerns about the new directive, which will be known as 'Directive 8869/10', are:

- It includes improved standards of housing and care for animals, but member states are allowed until 2017 to actually implement them. As there was widespread agreement at the end of the last century that the old standards were outdated, this delay is outrageous.

- There are no real measures that will encourage researchers to reduce or avoid primate use or lead to a decrease in primate use.

- Primates may still be captured and taken from the wild for use in breeding centres supplying animals to labs in the EU. The UK has had a ban on the use of wild caught primates in research since 1995.

- There is no outright ban on the use of great apes, such as chimpanzees, in experiments. The UK currently has a policy ban on great ape use on moral grounds.

- The role of 'animal welfare bodies' within establishments was progressively undermined in successive drafts of the directive. This flies in the face of the significant contribution that the UK Ethical Review Process has made to questioning the necessity and justification for animal use, improving science and animal welfare.

- Unlike in the previous directive, projects may be allowed to cause animals 'severe' pain, suffering or distress that cannot be alleviated if there is scientific justification.

-ends-

Notes to editors:

- In September 2009, the RSPCA handed a petition to the UK Government signed by more than 68,000 people. It called for them to work towards ending the use of animals in experiments, replacing them with humane alternatives.
- The process of revising the current directive, which has been in place since 1986, began in 2002.

RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS
Press office direct lines: 0300 123 0244/0288 Fax: 0303 123 0099
Duty press officer (evenings and weekends) Tel 08448 222888 and ask for pager number 828825
Email: press@rspca.org.uk Website: www.rspca.org.uk

Enjoy running? Places still available in the Great South Run, on Sunday 24th October 2010. Challenge yourself to a 10 mile run in Portsmouth and raise money for the RSPCA. Email fundraisers-support@rspca.org.uk for more information.

Tags: