World Day for Animals In Laboratories

Saturday April 24th, 2010

Meeting from 11.30am, Cavendish Square, London W1G OPR (nearest Tube: Oxford Circus)

Revision of Directive 86/609/EEC

28/11/ 2009

In 1986 the European Commission adopted Directive 86/609/EEC on the “protection [yeah, right] of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes”. Each EU member state has an obligation to incorporate this directive into its national legislation. The UK equivalent is the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The directive (and thus the corresponding national law of EU member states) has come under increasing criticism because it offered animals in laboratories virtually no protection from painful and lethal experiments. If anything, this legislation protects animal researchers from prosecution under existing animal anti-cruelty laws.

The cruel deception
During 2006 and 2007, the European Commission paved the way for a revision of the 1986 Directive, by inviting comments and feedback from experts as well as the general public, and in November 2008 the Commission adopted a draft text of this revision. Despite heroic efforts by several animal welfare and antivivisection groups, the proposed revision turned out to be worse in many ways for the animals than the original legislation. What was made painfully clear during those crucial parliamentary discussions was that most members of the European Parliament (MEPs) simply buckled under pressure from industry when it was time to cast their votes.

What happens next?
On 5 May 2009, the European Parliament adopted its first reading of the draft text of the revision. Once the proposed revision receives approval both by Parliament and the Council of Ministers, it will replace the original Directive 86/609/EEC. This could happen in the next few months.

From bad to worse
One of the very few positive points that existed in the original Directive 86/609/EEC was article 7.2, which states: “An experiment shall not be performed if another satisfactory method of obtaining the result sought, not entailing the use of an animal, is reasonably and practicably available”. However, the proposed revision intends to seriously weaken this crucial point, since it would:

-- 1. reduce the mandatory nature of the ‘alternatives clause’: in the current EU Directive, it is mandatory for member states to use non-animal alternative methods if they are available. Article 4.1 in the draft text downgrades the mandatory nature of the requirement, to simply require that this is done “wherever possible”. This is a subtle but highly significant change in the legislative language that would allow member states far more freedom to ignore or delay implementation of alternatives.

-- 2. allow member states to delay implementing alternative test methods until they are ‘recognised by Community legislation’ – an administrative process that can take years: Article 7.2 of the existing Directive clearly says: “An experiment shall not be performed if another scientifically satisfactory method of obtaining the result sought, not entailing the use of an animal, is reasonably and practicably available.” The new proposal deletes this wording completely and states instead that an alternative must be used only once it has been “recognised by Community legislation” (Article 13.1). This means that member states would no longer be required to implement alternatives as soon as they have been scientifically validated but instead would have to wait for the test to go through the lengthy administrative process needed to achieve adoption into the EU regulatory framework. This could potentially add years to the time it takes to replace animal tests with alternatives.

-- 3. limit the scope of the ‘alternatives clause’ so that it no longer requires application of alternatives to all procedures, most notably those carried out for the purpose of basic medical research where the vast majority of animals are used: only alternatives to toxicological and ‘safety’ tests are recognised by Community legislation but toxicological tests account for only around 10% of all animal use. So for the rest, mainly procedures used in basic medical research, the legal requirement to use available alternatives to animal procedures would simply no longer apply.

-- 4.result in member states such as the UK having to weaken national legislation on alternatives: Article 2.7 in the new proposal also removes a member state’s ability to maintain higher standards or introduce stronger standards in any area other than “care and accommodation”. That means that Britain could be forced to weaken its national legislation – the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 – to the lowest common denominator level, removing the legal requirement for alternative methods to be used.

This revision represents a once-in-20-years opportunity to improve the laws regulating animal experiments. If we allow things to take their course, the new Directive will be even worse than the one it is replacing. There is still time to try to influence MEPs, either by contacting them directly, or else by mobilising public opinion.

“A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all. Those who do nothing are inviting shame, as well as violence. Those who act boldly are recognizing right, as well as reality” (John F Kennedy civil rights speech, 11 June 1963). Credit to points 1-4 above, taken from The Dr Hadwen Trust website:

http://www.drhadwentrust.org/news/brussels-threat-to-eu-and-uk-law+

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On Saturday 24th April 2010 campaigners from across the country, as well as many from overseas, will be gathering in London to mark World Day for Animals in Laboratories. Following a rally in Cavendish Square, close to Oxford Circus, we will be marching through the centre of London, past some of the busiest places in the world, Regent St, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square taking the anti-vivisection message to tens of thousands of people. Then onto Whitehall, past Downing St and to the Houses of Parliament where we will be calling for an end to all animal experiments once and for all.

Please keep this date free and join us on 24th April, and let's make our voices heard as we call for "Justice for the Animals".

Coaches and minibuses will be arranged from around the country, contact us for details of transport from your area.

More details will be announced over the next few months, including more details about the events of the day, as well as important developments in the international fight against vivisection which are expected as we count down to World Day 2010.

For more information, please contact us.

Donations: The march and rally and other events for World Day in London are being organised by a collective of individuals and grass-roots groups. Please consider making a donation to help us make the day a big success. Send Cheques/PO’s (payable to 'WDAIL') to WDAIL, BM Box 8623, London WC1N 3XX.

WDAIL, BM Box 8623, London WC1N 3XX.
Email: info@wdail.org