Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-09-08-Speech-3-039"
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"en.20100908.4.3-039"2
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"Madam President, Mr Dalli, ladies and gentlemen, after almost two years of intensive discussions, we have come to an agreement with the Council and the Commission on a directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. We have achieved a noteworthy balance between the interests of animal welfare and those of research.
For this reason, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved for their excellent cooperation in this area. I would also like to thank our former colleague, Neil Parish, who was able to establish a good starting position for Parliament during the first reading in May of last year. I would like to thank all the shadow rapporteurs and the representatives of the Commission and of the Swedish and Spanish Presidencies. Not least, I also want to thank the staff of the political groups and of the committee secretariat. We have all done everything in our power to achieve this compromise.
Compared with the existing directive, which dates back to 1986, this new animal experiments directive represents a quantum leap in animal welfare. Medical research using animals will still be possible if there are no alternatives, but it will be subject to very strict regulations. The principles behind the new directive are to replace and reduce animal testing and to refine animal welfare. The directive lays down comprehensive protection regulations and control criteria for the purpose of improving welfare. By introducing the obligation to carry out an ethical evaluation, which includes a harm-benefit analysis, and the authorisation process for projects, and by standardising and guaranteeing the competence of the people who work with animals, we are putting in place new and fundamental cornerstones.
Experiments in which animals are used may not be carried out without advance authorisation. This includes an assessment of the project on the basis of ethical considerations. Detailed evaluations must be carried out to determine whether a specific animal experiment is needed, whether it can be replaced by an alternative procedure and whether all the animal welfare requirements concerning the severity of the test have been taken into consideration. Wherever possible, researchers must avoid causing distress, suffering and pain to animals.
In addition, at the insistence of the delegation from Parliament, we have been successful in calling for a very strict control and inspection system. The competent authority will adjust the frequency of the inspections, which include unannounced on-site checks, to match the expected level of risk. I am certain that we have managed to find a balance between high levels of animal welfare and the possibility of continuing to carry out research in Europe. This balance takes into account the requirements of research in relation to human dignity and health, does not ignore the legitimate interests of sick people, and introduces a quantum improvement in animal welfare, compared with the standard set in 1986.
In the trialogue negotiations, we reached a compromise which was accepted on 3 June 2010. Ladies and gentlemen, I would ask you to support this compromise and to reject all the proposed amendments."@en1
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