Directive 86/609/EEC: Key developments

The current revision of the animal experimentation legislation is proving to be hugely controversial, despite the absence of a real debate involving the public and the lack of interest shown by the majority of MEPs. Here we highlight the developments to date:

Current activities

The Commission's proposals are now being discussed by the Council of Ministers, which is composed of all Member States representatives working in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. The Swedish Presidency says it considers animal welfare as a priority, and pushed the Council to agree on a common set of proposals in December. The Council position is different from the Parliament's report, but because both institutions have negotiated it, the chances to see the Parliament fully debating the proposals in a Second Reading are now small: Rapporteur MEP Elisabeth Jeggle compromised with the Council of Ministers in an attempt to prevent MEPs from tabling any more amendments.

The Council of Ministers is expected to adopt its position early in 2010.

July 2009

Discussions on the severity classification
The European Commission invites experts to join a working group on 9-10th July to define criteria for an EU wide severity classification of scientific procedures performed on animals. The ECEAE, represented by Dr Katy Taylor from the BUAV, an animal welfare scientist, is able to secure a number of important improvements to the Commission report. However, much remains to be done

The report is forwarded to the Swedish Presidency and was discussed by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.

The severity classification will now be included in the revised Directive.

Click here for more information.

March 2009

Public opinion
The ECEAE launches the results of its opinion poll, conducted in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the Czech Republic, to coincide with the presentation of the Agriculture Committee report at the Parliament on Monday 9th March.

The results show that a very large majority of people questioned are in favour of banning all experiments that cause suffering to non-human primates, cats and dogs, as well as, all experiments (on any species) that cause severe suffering.

A similar majority want all information about animal experiments to be published, except where it is confidential or would identify individuals.

Equally important, a large number of people believe that, if animal experiments are to be permitted at all, it should only be where they are for serious or life-threatening human conditions.

The ECEAE attends the Agriculture Committee meeting at which Rapporteur MEP, Neil Parish, presents a controversial draft report to his colleagues. ECEAE supporters gather near the European Parliament building in Strasbourg to call on the MEPs to move away from cruel science.

Vote
On 31st March 2009, the Agriculture Parliamentary Committee (AGRI) votes out measures that would have afforded greater protection to animals in laboratories.

The ECEAE is extremely disappointed that a majority of the Members of this Committee, heavily lobbied by the multi-billion pound animal research industry, voted in a way contrary to public opinion and undermined proposals originally put forward by the EU Commission to make major long over-due improvements to the protection of animals in laboratories.

On 5 May, the full Parliament makes amendments to the Commission proposal, largely in line with the Agriculture Committee report.

February 2009

Controversial ENVI opinion and resignation
The ECEAE attends the ENVI (Environment) Committee meeting, at which a controversial opinion on the EC's proposals is voted in, at the expense of animal welfare and wild-life conservation.

In an extraordinary development, the draftsperson for the ENVI Committee opinion, Slovenian MEP, Mojca Drcar Murko, demands that her name be removed in protest, at what she stated, as intense misleading lobbying by the animal research industry to water down the European Commission's proposals.

January 2009

The revision calendar is announced
The timetable and process for the consideration of the EC proposals becomes clear, and the Agriculture Committee is appointed to prepare a preliminary report on the European Commission's proposals. UK MEP, Neil Parish, is nominated to be the Rapporteur on this dossier. The Environment and the Industry Committees are also selected to produce Opinions on the proposal.

November 2008

On November 5th, the draft revision to the Directive is published by the European Commission. The revision represents some improvement for the welfare of animals compared with the current outdated Directive. However the ECEAE expresses disappointment with the Commission's lack of vision and ambition on a number of issues.

Further Information

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