Laws proposed by the EU to screen thousands of chemicals for safety would lead to 鈥渦nacceptable mass animal testing鈥�, according to an influential House Of Lords Committee in the UK. According to the committee鈥檚 report, it would cost the lives of 12 million animals.
鈥淎nimal testing is the hot potato of all political hot potatoes,鈥� says Lord Crickhowell, Chairman of the Select Committee On The European Union. 鈥淲e think that there will be a huge increase in animal rights protests and it will arouse such great hostility that it will be a major blockage on the whole screening strategy.鈥� Since 1981, all new chemicals have been screened for safety. But very little data is available for chemicals first manufactured before this date, even if they are still produced in vast quantities. This has led the UK Government to say that it is 鈥渧ery concerned that we do not have even a basic assessment of the possible risks of most chemicals released into the environment.鈥�
This concern is reflected across the EU, prompting the European Commission to propose a testing regime for the estimated 30,000 chemicals first marketed prior to 1981.
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Non-animal alternatives
The proposals have been broadly welcomed by the environmental lobby. Animal rights groups claim they have been wooed by the chemicals industry but have rebuffed their advances, fearing the chemicals industry is trying to use them to help water down the EU鈥檚 proposals. Anti-vivisectionists are instead viewing the EU鈥檚 proposals as an opportunity to drive forward the search for non-animal alternatives for safety testing.
鈥淎s the proposals stand, it will be the biggest mass poisoning programme in history, involving up to 50 million animals,鈥� claims Michelle Thew, Chief Executive of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection.
鈥淲e do not oppose the testing of these chemicals but more reliable and ethical alternatives have to be found. In many cases they are already available,鈥� she says.
The House Of Lords Committee agrees. Lord Crickhowell says: 鈥淭he Commission鈥檚 White Paper provides a rare opportunity to generate the political will within the EU to promote non-animal testing. Well-funded programmes to develop alternative testing methods must now be at the top of the agenda.鈥�
The European Commission is expected to finish drafting the legislation and present it to the EU Parliament in the summer of 2002. The Parliament is likely to insist that vivisection should only be used as a last resort.