Humane Society International has welcomed the steps taken by members of the European Parliament's Environment Committee to curb biocide regulations that contain 'archaic' animal test requirements.
Up to 12,000 animals can be used to test a single biocide active substance, during which they can experience convulsions, nausea and death - all without the benefit of pain relief.
Committee members voted on amendments to a European Commission proposal for a new regulation on biocidal products (non-agricultural pesticides that range from wild animal poisons to 'germ-killing' antibacterial cleansers).
They supported amendments that could drastically reduce the number of animals used in safety testing.
Troy Seidle, director of research and toxicology for Human Society International, said: 'In the past 12 years since the Biocides Directive came into force, the science of safety testing has undergone a technology revolution.
'Yet for years, EU law effectively ignored many of the most promising cutting-edge solutions in favour of some of the most excessive and archaic animal test requirements in existence.
'MEPs have taken important steps towards bringing biocide testing out of the dark ages by supporting a move away from animal poisoning experiments that in some cases date back to the World War One era.
'A transition towards state-of-the-art laboratory techniques wouldn't simply signal a victory for animal welfare; it would also significantly improve our ability to protect people and the planet from potentially harmful chemicals,' he added.
The proposed regulation, like the Biocides Directive it will replace, contains one of the largest 'tick-box' requirements for animal toxicity (safety) tests seen in EU legislation.
Many of the tests are decades old, of dubious relevance to human health or environmental protection and should be replaced with state-of-the-art testing strategies that could reduce animal use by up to 50 per cent, if not eliminate it altogether for the assessment of certain types of toxic effects.
For example, non-animal methods exist that can fully replace animal testing for skin irritation and skin absorption testing, among other types of safety studies.
Humane Society International and its allies called for a range of amendments to the Commission proposal, many of which were supported by MEPs in the vote.
Key amendments voted through with the potential to reduce animal testing and improve the quality of biocidal safety requirements, include: designating 'avoidance of animal testing' as an overarching goal of the regulation; giving explicit reference to valid non-animal test methods and intelligent testing strategies; revising data requirements listed in Annexes II and III to take into account modern alternative test methods and comply with the obligation elsewhere in EU law (Article 7.2 of Directive 86/609) to use alternatives to animal testing where available.
The proposal will now be voted on by all MEPs at Plenary in July, followed by discussion by the Council of Ministers.
