steps to curb ´excessive and archaic´ testing requirements

Praise over steps to curb ´excessive and archaic´ testing requirements

THE HUMANE Society International has praised Members of the European Parliament’s environment committee for taking important steps to curb biocide regulations which contain what it says is some of the most ‘excessive and archaic’ animal test requirements in EU law.

Without pain relief

As many as 12,000 animals can be used to test a single biocide active substance, during which they can experience convulsions, nausea and death – all without the benefit of pain relief, the society said.
Last week, committee members voted on amendments to a European Commission proposal for a new regulation on biocidal products – non-agricultural pesticides that range from wild animal poisons to ‘germ-killing’ antibacterial cleansers. They supported amendments which could reduce the number of animals used in safety testing by 50 per cent, if not eliminate the need altogether for the assessment of certain types of toxic effects.
“In the past 12 years since the Biocides Directive came into force, the science of safety testing has undergone a technology revolution,” said Troy Seidle, of the Society. “Yet for years, EU law effectively ignored many of the most promising cutting-edge solutions in favour of some of the most excessive and archaic animal test requirements in existence.
“MEPs have now taken important steps towards bringing biocide testing out of the Dark Ages by supporting a move away from animal poisoning experiments that in some cases date back to the first world war era. A transition towards state-of-the-art laboratory techniques wouldn’t simply signal a victory for animal welfare, it would also significantly improve our ability to protect people and the planet from potentially harmful chemicals.”