International consortium to co-operate to reduce animal testing
Four international organisations have signed an agreement to work together to significantly reduce the number of animals used in biomedical and other experiments.
Four international organisations have signed an agreement to work together to significantly reduce the number of animals used in biomedical and other experiments.
The Japanese Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods, the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM), the US National Toxicology Program and Canada's Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau have initialled a memorandum of co-operation to formalise the way they work together in test method evaluation, validation studies, independent scientific peer review and handling regulatory authorities. They will also develop harmonised recommendations on regulatory issues.
"Reducing animal testing, both out of concern for animal welfare and ethical issues, and protecting consumer safety are two major objectives of this international agreement," said Janez PotoÄÂnik, the European Union's (EU) science and research commissioner.
The move follows the conclusion drawn by the EU's scientific committee on health and environmental risks that, based on today's scientific evidence, the use of non-human primates such as chimpanzees and baboons in basic and applied biomedical research should be continued.
The European Parliament has also called for the use of animals in scientific research to be re-evaluated and restricted and compulsory ethical assessments to be staged into such tests. MEPs also want an end to tests on endangered ape species and the capture of wild animals for experiments.