EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/791

(2004/C 84 E/0888)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0448/04

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 February 2004)

Subject: Research on non-human primates in Münster, Germany

The Commission has stated in the past that Directive 86/609/EEC (1) does not provide sufficient controls to safeguard the welfare of non-human primates. The Commission's amended proposals with regard to the 6th Framework Programme for Research and Technical Development stipulated that research activities must respect the protection of animals in accordance with Community law, and participants in research projects must conform to current legislation and regulations in the countries where research will be carried out.

Following a five-month investigation, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) has alleged the cruel treatment of non-primates by staff in the Covance animal research laboratories in Münster Germany. Given that the Ministry for Environment in North Rhine-Westfalia has initiated a procedure to withdraw Covance's licence to keep and experiment on laboratory animals, will the Commission condemn Covance for its treatment of animals and denounce the use of non-primates in research within the wider European Union?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2004)

The use of non-human primates is among the most sensitive topics in relation to animal research. Indeed, the Commission has been informed about the treatment of non-human primates at the Covance animal research laboratories in Münster (in North Rhine-Westphalia) in Germany. A subsequent Commission investigation showed that the German authorities have swiftly taken appropriate action. Therefore, the Commission currently sees no need to conduct further investigations in this matter

The Commission has initiated a revision of Council Directive 86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. The aim of the revision is to strengthen the legislation in the area of animal experimentation in the EU and to ensure that the animals still used in experiments will receive appropriate care and humane treatment. Among other things, the revision is looking into the requirements and conditions for the authorisation of experiments, personnel and establishments, and inspections of establishments which breed, supply or use laboratory animals.

The Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) has signalled the continued need for non-human primates in biomedical research (2). However, the SSC also stressed that each testing proposal involving non-human primates should be justified on a case-by-case basis.

The use of non-human primates in experiments is one of the issues that will be thoroughly reviewed during the revision of Directive 86/609/EEC. To have the necessary background information, the Commission requested the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare (Scahaw), to issue an opinion on the welfare of non-human primates used in experiments (3). The Opinion was adopted on 17 December 2002 and is now used as a background document for the revision.

(1) OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1.

(2) The Scientific Steering Committee: The need for non-human primates in biomedical research', statement adopted 4/5 April 2002. The document is available on the Internet: http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/ssc/out253_en.pdf

(3) http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/aw/aw_scahaw_en.html