WRITTEN QUESTION E-3303/00 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission. Chemical testing on animals.
Date: 2000-10-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal experimentation, chemical product, testing

C 163 E/18

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

(2001/C 163 E/017)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3303/00

by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission

(25 October 2000)

Subject: Chemical testing on animals

I have received a great deal of correspondence about the European Union(cid:146)s proposal to commence
a massive new chemical testing programme, drawn up by the European Commission, which may involve
re-testing up to 70 000 existing chemicals. It has been estimated by some experts that literally millions of
animals will die during this chemical testing programme.

Those writing to me are unable to identify precisely how this vast chemical testing programme will
produce any benefit for citizens within the European Union. Please inform me in detail precisely how this
massive chemical testing programme is supposed to benefit us. Please also inform me how many animals
the EU is likely to kill in this process.

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2903/00, E-3071/00 and E-3303/00
given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 2000)

Laboratory animals such as rats, mice, birds, fish or daphniae, and also microorganisms, are used to test
the intrinsic dangerous properties of chemicals that potentially damage human health and the environ-
ment. Knowledge about the dangerous properties is the first step to ensure the safe use of chemicals. The
European citizen expects that chemicals are safe.

A large majority of the chemicals currently on the Community market are so-called (cid:145)existing(cid:146) substances,
meaning that they were first marketed before 1981, rather than that they are drawn from stockpiles. They
are produced and marketed without the same level of testing that is required by Council Directive 67/548/
EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to
the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances (1) for so-called (cid:145)new(cid:146) substances, i.e.
those that were first marketed after 1981.

A study from the European Chemicals Bureau showed that it is only for a small number of the existing
substances produced in high volumes that we have the amount of toxicological and ecotoxicological data
required for new substances. For other existing chemicals no data exists.

In order to ensure a higher level of protection from existing substances, possibly equivalent to new
substances, it is therefore necessary to increase considerably the knowledge about existing substances. In
such an exercise it is essential to achieve a balance between the protection of human health and the
environment, and the protection of laboratory animals.

The Commission will make every effort to ensure that the number of animals to be used is as low as
possible. In part, this will be done through use of existing alternative testing methods and continuing
development of new alternative methods. Indeed, one of the major tasks of the Commission(cid:146)s Joint
Research Centre is to validate alternative methods that reduce, refine or replace animal experiments. This is
supported by Community legislation requiring that, where equivalent methods exist,
that using the
minimum number of animals shall be chosen.

Other approaches under consideration include collecting further data that may become available,
extrapolating from existing data on similar substances, encouraging data sharing between companies,
using results from non-Community test programmes and reducing test requirements for substances used
only in industry under strict control of exposure.

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/19

The white paper on a future Community chemicals policy, which should be adopted by the Commission
before the end of this year, will provide more detail on ways in which our knowledge about the properties
of chemicals can be improved in order to ensure their safe use. It is not possible to give an estimate of the
number of animals required in order to meet the safety testing requirements for chemicals until the details
of the new strategy have been decided.

(1) OJ B 196, 16.8.1967.

(2001/C 163 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2905/00

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 September 2000)

Subject: Accession negotiations with Cyprus

Environmental groups in Cyprus claim that the government is failing to take measures to protect the
sensitive environment of the Akamas peninsula or to enforce court rulings or such legislation as already
exists to protect the area from development.

Will, or have, the specific concerns about the Akamas peninsula, and the more general issues they raise
legislation, play any part in the
about environmental protection and enforcement of environmental
accession negotiations relating to the environment chapter?

Has any indication been given by the government that the Akamas will be declared a special area of
conservation under the Natura 2000 programme, and if so how much of the peninsula will be so
included?

Will EU negotiators insist that measures are taken to protect the Akamas before closing the environment
chapter of the negotiations?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(6 November 2000)

The Commission is aware that the environmental protection of the Akamas peninsula is a subject of
intense debate both within and outside Cyprus. As already indicated in its answer to Written Question
E-1781/00 by Mrs Frassoni (1), the Commission is following this subject closely through the various means
at its disposal. These include in particular the chapter of the accession negotiations relating to the
environment, on-going technical contacts with the Cypriot authorities on environmental questions, and
the various pre-accession instruments, such as the regular report on progress towards accession. The
accession negotiations on environment, as in other chapters, take account not only of legal transposition
but also implementation of the relevant acquis. The commitments made by the candidate countries in the
negotiations are being closely monitored.

Furthermore, the candidate countries have been reminded of the Council conclusions of 24 September
1998 on accession strategies for the environment, in which it was stated that all new investment should
comply with the environmental acquis
As part of the preparations for accession in relation to the environment, Cyprus will, in respect of the
habitats directive, Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992, on the conservation of natural habitats
and of wild fauna and flora (2), present a list of proposed sites to be designated as special areas of
conservation for inclusion in the Natura 2000 network. The proposal will include a clear definition of the
boundaries of the areas in question. A project under the LIFE programme, which is assisting the Cypriot
authorities in this task, has identified the Akamas region in an indicative list of such areas.