[monkeywire] EU Parliament moves to end primate testing
PR ADI
PR at ad-international.org
Wed Jun 27 04:48:13 EDT 2007
http://www.arkangelweb.org/international/general/20070618euprimatetestin
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Arkangel Magazine
News
European Union
EU Parliament moves to end primate testing
European MPs of all parties are supporting a new Declaration calling for
an end to the use of Great Apes and wild-caught primates in research.
Written Declaration 40/2007 has received unprecedented cross-party
support within the European Union. A new report published by Animal
Defenders International (ADI) has reminded MP's that:
* Most primates share over 90% of their DNA with humans, and that they
are intelligent, use tools, have language and feel similar emotions to
ourselves.
* They are, are closest relatives on the tree of life and deserve
special consideration.
* The very existence of the primate nations is under threat from the
worldwide laboratory animal trade, as well as bushmeat, pets and
entertainment industries.
* The members of the European Parliament are in a unique position - at a
stroke, they can make an important compassionate and conservationist
stand.
* This is also an opportunity to accelerate development of the latest
human research techniques to replace misleading animal test data.
* With over 100 signatures already, Written Declaration 40/2007 urges
the Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament to
use the revision process of animal experiments Directive 86/609/EC as an
opportunity to:
(a) Make ending the use of apes and wild-caught monkeys in
scientific experiments an urgent priority;
(b) Establish a timetable for replacing the use of all primates in
scientific experiments with alternatives.
This proposal appears to be gaining support from politicians, the
scientific community and conservationists alike.
Politicians that have declared support such as UK MEP John Bowis, said:
"I have signed this Declaration because I believe, as many scientists,
parliamentarians and members of the public, experiments on primates are
both unethical and inefficient and can and should be replaced with more
advanced scientific techniques."
Slovenian MEP Mojca Drcar Murko said: "I support Written Declaration 40
because advanced alternatives to primate experiments in medical research
already exist and because it is high time to convey our compassion to
our species-cousins".
Portuguese MEP Paulo Casaca also urged parliamentarians to sign: "As an
MEP I want the European Union to show the world the way forward for the
animals. With the revision of Directive 86/609 on the use of animals in
experiments, the EU can make an historical progress by gradually banning
primates in laboratories and replacing them by safer and more reliable
alternatives. This is a step forward not only for the animals, but also
for the competitiveness of our high-tech industry, for science, and for
the humans."
UK MEP Dr Caroline Lucas said in support: "The EU is currently reviewing
its rules of laboratory animals, and we must use this opportunity to
immediately ban the use of primates in experiments anywhere in the EU,
in favour of more modern and effective alternatives like computer
modelling, tissue or cell cultures and micro-dosing."
Swedish MEP Jens Holm commented: "It is about time to end experiments on
primates. Primates are sentient beings and are fully capable of having
feelings like humans: joy, happiness or anger. Their interest must be
fully taken into account and cruelty against them must stop."
UK MEP Sharon Bowles concurred: "It is unsurprising that 90% of the
compassionate British public would like to see more funding allocated to
non-animal alternatives for testing. Many alternatives do exist, but
their use and further development requires investment and a commitment
to innovation.
Some of the scientists that have backed the ban such as Dr Michael D
Coleman, Senior Lecturer in Toxicology and Doctor of Science at Aston
University, said: "As well as the ethical considerations,
scientifically, primates are simply not close enough to us to act as
good experimental models and we should be promoting replacement of
animal work with human cellular systems. We must leave behind the
intellectual laziness of relying on animal models and invest in
human-cellular based alternatives for the future."
Zvezdana Kojic, MD PhD, Assistant Professor of Physiology at the School
of Medicine, University of Belgrade, said "I would like to signify my
support for an end to the use of primates in research."
Jan Creamer, ADI chief executive said today: "We are delighted that so
many MEP's are answering the call to protect the primate nations. These
are our relatives. They suffer similar emotions to ourselves and
therefore their suffering when captured from the wild, imprisoned in
holding cages, taken from their families, shipped across the world and
used in experiments in European laboratories is indefensible.
"It is time for humanity to recognise that other primates are nations,
too. They have families, express emotions, and communicate in highly
sophisticated ways."
To read 'The Primate Nations' Report click on:
http://www.ad-international.org/mmap/go.php?id=634&ssi=64
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Animal Defenders International
Millbank Tower
Millbank
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Tel: +44 (0)20 7630 3340
Fax: +44 (0)20 7828 2179
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