Debate: Plans and actions to accelerate a transition to innovation without the use of animals in research, regulatory testing and education
Date: THURSDAY, 8 JULY 2021
Speaker: Adina-Ioana Vălean
Language: EN

At the global level this directive is unique as its ultimate goal is the full replacement of animal use in science. The directive is also among the most stringent legislation in the world for protecting the welfare of animals that are still needed for use in scientific research. In the European Union all living animals used in science are protected by this very strict legislation. It applies to the use of animals in all disciplines, from basic research to applied research, the development of medicines, and the safety testing of chemicals. The directive is overarching. All Member States have enacted it in their national legislation. All sector-specific pieces of legislation such as on pharmaceuticals, food or chemicals, must be in line with the objectives of the directive. That means in practice that the use of animals is only allowed if there are no suitable alternatives. Any new initiatives that the Commission is taking, such as the chemical strategy for sustainability, must fully respect the directive’s ultimate goal of phasing out all animals used in science. And let me recall that the use of animals is already forbidden if there are alternative methods available and that the EU already has a ban on using animal testing for cosmetics. As part of our commitment to the eventual replacement of all animals in science, the Commission actively supports the development of alternatives by funding research. This amounts to some EUR 800 million over the past 20 years. We also host the European Union Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing. This way we make tangible contributions to the development and validation of non-animal alternatives. The laboratory has some 50 staff at the Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra. In addition, the Commission is actively involved in, finances and co-chairs the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing. This is a public-private partnership that includes five directorates-general of the European Commission, 37 companies and 8 European industry federations, each representing a separate industrial area. The partnership aims at replacing animal testing by innovative non-animal testing methods, to reduce the number of animals used, and to refine procedures where no alternatives exist or are not sufficient to ensure the safety of substances. The directive on the protection of animals in science obliges the Member States and the Commission to be fully transparent on the use of animals in science and we recently launched ALURES, a database of statistics that is publicly available. The level of transparency is unique in the world. It helps determine which disciplines use the most animals and use the most severe tests and hence it helps us to better focus the research into alternative methods in these areas. This transparency is a tool showing how many animals are being used in science in the EU and helping us to focus the research. Another tool is knowledge-sharing, showcasing alternatives that are already available and others that are being developed. By shining a light on this progress on alternatives and engaging in the debate, we want to stimulate more change. Recent examples include two very well-attended scientific conferences, including one in February this year. Scientists showed, for example, 3D human kidney tubules for drug-efficacy testing and stem cell models that mimic the function of human organs. We also aim to stimulate trust in those new methods. As I said at the outset, our ultimate goal is to replace the use of animals for scientific purposes. That goal is reflected in EU legislation. We are working towards this goal with all the means we have – research policy, legislation and funding. While science is making progress, we are always looking for ways to accelerate the move towards this goal and reduce the use of animals in science. The different sectors for which we have European legislation, such as human and veterinary medicine, chemicals, food and feed, are all bound to the objectives of this directive to replace the use of animals. We are making targeted efforts. We are pursuing a collaborative and gradual approach, but more scientific knowledge is needed for phasing out animal testing and research completely.  So thank you very much for your attention. I’m looking forward to your comments to take to my colleague in charge of this dossier.