EU backs tougher experiment control

Tougher controls on the use of animals in scientific experiments will come into force in two years after final approval by MEPs.

The new rules, compulsory in all 27 EU countries, strengthen animal welfare legislation but acknowledge the need for continued testing on animals until alternatives can be found.

Animal welfare groups had originally pressed for a blanket ban on animal testing but greeted the compromise deal as a step forward - as long as it is fully enforced by national authorities.

Years of bitter negotiations resulted in a European Parliament vote endorsing moves to step up monitoring and control of animal experiments and laboratory conditions.

The rules replace 24-year-old EU legislation governing the use of more than 12 million animals in EU laboratories each year.

There will be stricter scrutiny of the care and housing of laboratory animals, "ethical evaluation" before animals can be used, and increased efforts to promote non-animal alternatives for testing for medical research.

The use of animals in experimentation will have to be "fully justifiable" and the expected benefits must be shown to outweigh the harm caused to the animals.

The tougher laws will particularly affect EU countries where only minimum standards currently apply, but will mean little change in countries such as the UK and Germany.

Tory MEP Richard Ashworth welcomed the fact that the new plan encourages the phasing out of animal testing as and when new technologies evolve: "This is a common sense compromise. A blanket ban on animal testing that was put forward by some is simply not realistic at the moment.

"We have instead a balanced package that increases the protection of animals in labs whilst ensuring that testing can still continue under tighter regulation. This further safeguards animal welfare until new developing technologies can replace animal testing altogether. Above all, our compromise protects human health and allows vital, and in some cases, life saving, research to continue."