A Welsh Euro MP’s report on how to ensure better protection for the 12 million animals used for experiments in the EU every year has been passed this week by the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy Committee.

Jill Evans MEP has been a strong advocate of animal rights issues and her report which calls for stricter controls to protect animals that are used for experiments will now be discussed by the full European Parliament on 4th December.

Ms Evans, who is leader of Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales in the European Parliament, said:

"Every year about 12 million vertebrate animals are used in the EU for experiments. This figure is unacceptable. Scientific knowledge and technology have developed so much, that there are now many alternatives to animal experiments. Animal experiments should be seen as exceptions to the rule rather than normal scientific procedures."

"Since the introduction of Genetically Modified animals, the number of animals being used for experiments every year is rising. My report wants EU countries to provide incentives for the development and use of alternatives to experiments on animals so that fewer animals have to suffer and not more."

"The current law on the protection of animals used for experiments does not ensure high enough standards of welfare for the animals. I know from the number of constituents who write to me in Parliament that this is something which really concerns people and we have all heard many stories of abuse. This is why I am campaigning for wider use of alternative methods and for the introduction of a EU-wide database of animal experiments to ensure experiments are not repeated."

The report calls for a standard EU inspectorate to be established that will have the powers to inspect any premises where animals are being used for experimentation - both private and public, without any prior warning, and to revoke the license of any establishment not adhering to the rules.

Before the summer Ms Evans was a prominent supporter of the successful vote to ban testing cosmetics on animals and to ban the selling of cosmetic ingredients that have been tested on animals.

DIWEDD/END.