Position Paper/EU Policy

CF Statement to European Parliament, Environment Cttee
Animal Welfare - Protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes

The use of animals in medical research is an important tool in the development of new medicines for human use.  It also results in new veterinary products being made available for relief of animal health problems.


Whilst it is clearly unacceptable that animals should be used in careless or unethical ways, the alternatives to the proper use of animals are unjustifiable unless they have scientific validity and will not increase the risks to human volunteers in clinical trials or patients who need the products developed through research.

Our understanding of animal welfare needs has developed in recent years, and new knowledge needs to be incorporated into the regulation of animal experimentation. 
However, there are a number of outstanding issues that would cause concern to patient groups if they were not addressed.

Use of primates in research (para’s 6 and 9)

Ethical and pragmatic grounds both preclude the use of primates except where no alternative is possible.  In such circumstances – such as research into diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, HIV or Cystic Fibrosis – there may be no other way of deriving the knowledge needed to make progress.  A ban on primate use would strand research, leaving us unable to make further advances (and in doing so de-value that which has gone before, including animal-based research) leaving patients still in need of cures which might otherwise have been delivered.

Management of pain (para’s 7 and 21)

We belive the management of pain (para’s 7 and 21) is best left to the vets who are responsible for the care and welfare of the animals.  Blanket criteria might not be universally applicable, possibly interfering with the effectiveness of the research (thereby increasing the number of animals needed).

Cystic Fibrosis Denmark would urge you to take these points into account when voting on the report, remembering that animal research is only a prelude to research on humans, and the number of animals (especially transgenic animal models) may be seen as very positive. 
It means that, for an increasing number of diseases, we have moved beyond studies of basic biology and are approaching the time when human trials can begin.