Animal protection organisation Humane Society International has welcomed final adoption of an EU law on animal experiments as a boost for animal welfare and the development of humane alternatives.
The organisation, however, warned that, to make meaningful improvements, member states must rigorously enforce the new rules.
HSI is also urging non-EU countries to follow Europe's example for the benefit of animals and modern science.
The European Parliament voted to adopt the law, which replaces the 25-year-old EU Directive 86/609 that regulates the use of more than 12 million animals in EU laboratories each year.
The new law introduces key improvements that will significantly strengthen animal protection in many of the newer member state countries, where only minimum standards presently exist.
For decades scientists in many member states have been able to experiment on live animals without projects being subject to ethical assessment or compulsory authorisation,' said Emily McIvor, senior EU adviser on research and toxicology for the Humane Society.
'Proper scrutiny can now be introduced in these countries for the first time and the impact that could have on animal welfare must not be underestimated,' she said.
'We will also see a new EU-wide effort on developing advanced humane alternatives to animal tests, helping to set the foundation for a future without animal experiments,' she added.
'However, such improvements depend on member states rigorously enforcing the law and Humane Society International will be working hard to ensure they do so,' she said.
'We also hope other countries will now follow Europe's lead so that standards are improved globally,' she added.
For countries such as the US, where millions of laboratory-bred birds, rats and mice used in experiments receive no legal protection under the country's Animal Welfare Act, matching EU standards would be a huge step forward,' she concluded.
Positive outcomes of the new law include: a ban on the use of great apes such as chimpanzees; ethical and scientific review before animal experiments are authorised; the requirement for all breeders, suppliers and users of animals to demonstrate compliance, including through choice of equipment and animal housing, and training of personnel; increased action at EU- and member state-level to develop and promote non-animal methods in all areas including medical research and education.
Negative outcomes of the new law include: many thousands of animals will still be permitted to endure 'severe suffering' - the highest severity classification in law; examples of severe suffering in the law include toxicity testing to death; tumours causing progressive lethal disease and long-lasting pain; unstable fractures or trauma to produce multiple organ failure; inescapable electric shock or complete isolation of social animals for prolonged periods; animals can still be subjected to repeated painful experiments with few limitations; no significant restrictions on the use of non-human primates; no commitment to a targeted EU strategy to reduce and replace animal experiments over time.
EU member states now have two years to transpose the new directive into national law.
Where there are opportunities for national legislation to go further than provisions in the new directive, such as in the development of new alternative research techniques, HSI urges member states to take decisive action in favour of humane science.
