WRITTEN QUESTION E-3258/01 by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Animal testing.
Date: 2001-11-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU research policy, animal experimentation, infectious disease, monkey, research and development, research method, testing

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Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

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WRITTEN QUESTION E-3258/01

by Paul Lannoye (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 November 2001)

Subject: Animal testing

1.
Given that chimpanzees do not respond to HIV (the virus responsible for AIDS in humans), are only
mildly affected by hepatitis B virus (responsible for chronic hepatitis and liver cancer in humans), and die
when infected by Ebola virus (just as humans do), would the Commission consider the chimpanzee, our
closest relative in evolution, to be a reliable model for the biological responses in humans? More generally,
given that any species is defined by its reproductive isolation, linked to its unique genetic outfit which
determines all aspects of its biological activities, and in particular its responses to toxic aggressions, would
the Commission consider valid for humans the toxicity assessment made in some animal ‘model’? Would
the Commission consider that
long-term toxic effects (carcinogenic effects, neurotoxicity leading to
neurodegenerative conditions, toxicities responsible for liver or kidney failure etc), which are usually
diagnosed years, sometimes decades, after the start of exposure to the noxious agents, can be faithfully
assessed by animal models with life expectancy limited to 20 or 30 months only?

Toxicology is the study of the biological behaviour of a living being in the environment of the toxic
2.
agent. It can therefore make use of the wealth of concepts and methods developed in modern biology over
the past decades, which allowed unprecedented progress to be made in this field. Given that an appropriate
selection of these methods, applied to the investigation of toxicity in human cells, organs, tissues and at
the systemic level in man, reveal the target(s), the effect(s) the mechanism(s) of action and the long-term
activity of the toxic product with scientific rigour, would the Commission consider this science-based
toxicology more reliable than the empirical tests on animal models, which are poorly reproducible,
irrelevant to human toxicity and allow highly noxious products to be released to the consumer? Doesn’t
the Commission think that we should ban animal testing as soon as possible?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2002)

The Commission is aware that the utility of animal experiments to detect the severity of noxious agents to
humans may be limited in some cases. The necessity of animal experiments has to be carefully evaluated
on a case-by-case basis, and the use of non-human primates is considered a particularly sensitive issue. In
this context, the Scientific Steering Committee has expressed the opinion that in the current stage of the
knowledge, apart from future vaccine strategy evaluation, chimpanzees need not be used in research about
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) such as the long-term noxe bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE). However, the Committee considered that lemurs, macaques and squirrel monkeys
constitute a valuable scientific and relevant model of human TSEs.

The Commission recognises the desirability to reduce, replace and refine animal testing and developing
suitable alternatives. To this end, a number of studies,
in vitro
methods, are supported under the current Quality of Life programme of the fifth Framework Programme
for Research and Technological Development.
for the sixth multiannual
Framework Programme (1), the Commission foresees to continue its support in favour of alternative
methods.

including the development of novel

In its modified proposal

One of the major tasks of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) of the
Joint Research Centre of the Commission is to validate alternative methods that reduce, refine or replace
animal experiments
(‘Three Rs approach’). Once an alternative method has been established the
Commission proposes its inclusion in the relevant Community legislation and the corresponding animal
tests should no longer be used. Thus, the Commission has recently placed three in vitro methods in

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regulations and
Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of
administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances (2),
these methods are now available for regulatory purposes. To date, however, alternative methods are not
available to cover all toxicological concerns and so some animal testing continues to be necessary.

laws,

In its recent White Paper on a Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy (3), the Commission identified the
promotion of non-animal testing as a political objective and proposed to maximise the use of non-animal
test methods, encourage development of new non-animal test methods and to minimise test programmes.

(1) COM(2001) 709 final.
(2) OJ P 196, 16.8.1967.
(3) COM(2001) 88 final.

(2002/C 147 E/144)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3264/01

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 November 2001)

Subject: Wave of illegal immigrants entering Greece and the role of Turkey as a candidate country

A steady stream of illegal immigrants is entering Greece from Turkey. This recently culminated in an
incident in which some 800 Kurds on their way to Italy were abandoned by Turkish smugglers off the
island of Zakynthos. As always in such circumstances, the warm hospitality shown by local inhabitants can
do little to solve the critical problems facing illegal immigrants.

Given that conditions following the attack of 11 September will exacerbate the situation, what measures
does the Commission intend to take to address this abnormal state of affairs? What steps are being taken
to monitor and evaluate Turkey’s policy for preventing illegal
immigration? Will special financial and
political aid be made available to countries already facing serious problems in receiving and taking care of
large numbers of immigrants, such as Greece?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(18 January 2002)

There is serious concern about irregular migration flows in Turkey, which have been steadily increasing.
The authorities have acknowledged the existence of 94 514 illegal immigrants in 2000, as compared to
11 362 in 1995. In the first five months of 2001, the number of apprehended illegal immigrants was
29 684, which represents a 28 % increase compared to 2001. Turkey is also a destination and transit
country for trafficking of human beings. Women and girls, mostly from Romania, Russia, Ukraine,
Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, are trafficked to or through Turkey. As stated in its Regular
Report of the Commission on Turkey for 2001 (1), Turkey does not meet the minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking and has not yet adopted specific legislation concerning trafficking in human
beings. According to Government statistics, the authorities arrested 850 members of organised gangs of
traffickers in 2000.

The phenomenon referred to by the Honourable Member demonstrates how important it is for the Union
to develop policies on the prevention of and the fight against illegal immigration and in particular against
irregular maritime arrivals. Such policies need to be developed in partnership with the countries of origin
and transit and should also contain initiatives concerning the internal policies of the Union.