MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on plans and actions to accelerate a transition to innovation without the use of animals in research, regulatory testing and education
10.9.2021 - (2021/2784(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 132(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Benoît Lutgen, Herbert Dorfmann
on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0425/2021
B9‑0432/2021
European Parliament resolution on plans and actions to accelerate a transition to innovation without the use of animals in research, regulatory testing and education
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes[1],
– having regard to Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products[2],
– having regard to the Commission report of 5 February 2020 entitled ‘2019 report on the statistics on the use of animals for scientific purposes in the Member States of the European Union in 2015-2017’ (COM(2020)0016),
– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Article 13 TFEU states that when formulating and implementing the Union’s policies, full regard should be paid to the welfare requirements of animals, since animals are sentient beings;
B. whereas Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes states that while it is desirable to replace the use of live animals in procedures by other methods not entailing the use of live animals, the use of live animals continues to be necessary to protect human and animal health and the environment today;
C. whereas this directive should be reviewed regularly in light of evolving science and animal protection measures;
D. whereas the EU has undertaken to promote animal welfare while protecting human health and the environment;
E. whereas according to the Special Eurobarometer 442 survey of March 2016, 89 % of EU citizens agree that the EU should do more to promote a greater awareness of the importance of animal welfare internationally, and 90 % of EU citizens agree that it is important to establish high animal welfare standards that are recognised across the world;
F. whereas the EU is a key player at the United Nations; whereas the EU institutions and the Member States must remain committed to a global order based on international law and multilateral cooperation; whereas the EU should do more to promote high animal welfare standards in its external relations and strive for a level playing field;
A transition to innovation with less use of live animals in research
1. Emphasises that the use of animals in research has contributed to significant advances in the treatment of conditions such as breast cancer, brain injury, childhood leukaemia, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis and many more, and has played a significant role in the development of pacemakers, heart valve replacements and anaesthetics;
2. Stresses that animal testing is crucial in the development of vaccines to ensure that these are safe; highlights that the testing of a coronavirus vaccine on animals was absolutely essential in the race to develop COVID-19 vaccines;
3. Draws attention to the fact that animal health in the livestock sector also depends on applied animal research;
4. Observes that certain Member States have adopted national implementing measures that ensure a high level of protection of animals used for scientific purposes, while others only apply the minimum requirements laid down in Directive 2010/63/EU;
5. Believes that certain national implementing measures could inspire an upcoming revision of the Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, such as a ban on animal testing for cleaning products and finished biocides or their ingredients as adopted in the Decree on the Walloon Code of Animal Welfare in October 2018;
6. Recalls that the animal testing bans on cosmetics have led to increased research efforts to develop alternative testing methods, with effects going far beyond the cosmetics sector; stresses that significant progress is expected to be made when other bans are introduced;
7. Highlights that the EU invested significant sums into the funding programmes that led to the discoveries of new approach methodologies (NAMs), such as organ-on-chip technology, micro-physiological systems, artificial intelligence, 3D bioprinting of tissues, and micro-organs, which may significantly reduce and replace animal testing when validated and implemented for regulatory use, as well as basic research and education;
8. Considers that experiments on animals should be avoided wherever possible in the research process in order to protect them from unnecessary suffering;
9. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to make sufficient medium- to long-term funding available for the fast development, validation and introduction of alternative testing methods for the replacement of animal testing methods for key toxicological endpoints such as carcinogenicity, reproduction toxicity and repeated dose toxicity; urges the Commission to allocate financial resources for the development of more scientific mechanisms aimed at avoiding animal testing;
The role of education in a transition to innovation without the use of animals in research
10. Stresses the need for a sustained training and education effort to ensure proper knowledge of alternatives and processes in laboratories and among competent authorities;
11. Points out that academic institutions have an essential role to play in terms of promoting alternatives to animal testing in scientific disciplines and disseminating new knowledge and practices, which are available but not always widely used;
12. Highlights the need to work within international structures to expedite the validation and acceptance of alternative methods and provide non-EU countries, where scientists may be unaware of alternative methods, and where testing facilities may lack the necessary research infrastructure, with knowledge transfer and financial support;
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13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.