Research involving non-human primates was given the go-ahead today (May 5) in an initial vote by the European Parliament, although legislators called for most basic testing on great apes to be outlawed.
Image: Understanding Animal Research
The new parliamentary directive "strikes a compromise between ensuring that research can continue in the EU and improving animal welfare," linkurl:Neil Parish,;http://www.neilparish.co.uk/ a Conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from the UK, said in a statement. But critics say that some of the regulations impede research and don't actually improve animals' lives. The directive revises linkurl:draft legislation;http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/lab_animals/revision_en.htm introduced by the European Commission (EC) last November that called for a near-blanket ban on primate testing. The proposals to ease these recommended restrictions were endorsed by an agricultural committee on March 31 and passed today by an overwhelming majority, with 540 MEPs voting in favor, 66 opposed, and 34 abstentions. The directives still face a...




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