Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

[**Avis juridique important**](../../../editorial/legal_notice.htm)

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# 92002E1825

**WRITTEN QUESTION E-1825/02 by Ian Hudghton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Biomedical primate research.** 
  
*Official Journal 301 E , 05/12/2002 P. 0236 - 0236*

  

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1825/02

by Ian Hudghton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(27 June 2002)

Subject: Biomedical primate research

The Commission has stated that the use of non-human primates in research is a sensitive matter and is aware of the high level of public concern about the use of these animals in laboratory research, in particular at the Biomedical Primate Research Centre in Rijswijk, Netherlands.

The Dutch Government Minister for Education, Culture and Science has admitted that there is no longer any reason to perform experiments on chimpanzees in the Netherlands and that they are putting an end to those experiments.

In light of the above, and in view of the Commission's current review of Directive 86/609/EEC(1) concerning the use of non-human primates in research, does the Commission agree that the BPRC's decision to infect six chimpanzees at the Rijswijk Centre with the Hepatitis C virus later this year should be halted until its review of the Directive has been concluded?

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

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2002)

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 states in Article 6 that: Each Member State shall designate the authority or authorities responsible for verifying that the provisions of the Directive are properly carried out. Article 12 states that Where it is planned to subject an animal to an experiment in which it will, or may, experience severe pain which is likely to be prolonged, that experiment must be specifically declared and justified to, or specifically authorised by, the authority.

Thus the decision whether to authorise the experiment on non-human primates at the Rijswijk Centre with the Hepatitis C virus is the responsibility of the competent authorities in the Netherlands.

As far as the Commission has been informed, the decision whether or not to continue the research activities at the BPRC on the development of an Hepatitis C vaccine which will involve the infection of six chimpanzees is still under discussion by the authorities in the Netherlands.

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