Directive 86/609/EEC: Severity of animal suffering

A key issue in the debate on the revision of Directive 86/609/EEC

The ECEAE was one of only two animal protection organisations invited to take part in an expert European Commission (EC) working group in July 2009. The aim was to define how the levels of suffering caused to animals in experiments should be classified.

Dr Katy Taylor represented the ECEAE, and was able to secure a number of important improvements to the Commission report. For example, the need to take into account the many other factors that impact on the suffering experienced by animals in laboratories, such as housing and handling, and also an animal's cumulative experience from being subjected to more than one experiment. Her contribution was vital.

The ECEAE does not believe any animal should be made to suffer in the name of science. However while animal experiments are still being carried out in the EU, we agree that it would be useful to have a realistic approach to assessing animal suffering. This would require researchers to assess the severity of the research they wish to carry out and increase public understanding of animal experiments.

Experts conflict with public opinion

An overwhelming 84% of respondents to a recent European survey believe that causing severe pain or suffering to any animal should be prohibited.

Despite this the opinion of the EC's expert working group is that there should only be a prohibition on 'severe pain, suffering or distress which is likely to be long-lasting and cannot be ameliorated'.

Therefore, the following experiments would probably still be allowed to take place:

Experiments which induce tumours in animals and ultimately death
Toxicity tests which result in death
Animals being bred with genetic disorders such as muscular dystrophy and Huntingdon's disease
Animals subjected to inescapable electric shocks
Complete isolation for prolonged periods for social animals such as dogs and non-human primates

Most people would regard these experiments as causing severe and prolonged suffering.

We will continue to do everything we can to make sure that such experiments are banned.

Further information

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Directive 86/609/EEC: Severity of animal suffering

A key issue in the debate on the revision of Directive 86/609/EEC

Experts conflict with public opinion

Further information