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Cutting Edge, Not Knife Edge

Cutting Edge, Not Knife Edge

The NAVS is urging the UK Government to adopt progressive approach for animal testing as Government prepares to overhaul lab rules

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Pushing for alternatives to animal research

In 2011 the UK began the first major revision of animal experimentation rules in over 25 years as the government brings the new EU Directive on animal testing (2010/63/EU) into UK law. This is an opportunity for the government to seriously commit to the implementation of sophisticated replacements for animal experiments; advancing science whilst ending animal suffering.

The NAVS has outlined ten steps the UK Government must take to tackle animal experiments:

  • End household product testing
  • No weakening of existing UK rules
  • Commit to replacing experiments on monkeys in UK laboratories
  • End the wild capture of monkeys by laboratory dealers
  • Set clear limits on the pain laboratory animals can suffer
  • Increase transparency on animal experiments – more public accountability
  • Increase compulsory data sharing to prevent unnecessary experiments
  • Establish a UK laboratory for the development and validation of non-animal methods
  • Regular reviews to identify and replace animal experiments
  • Ensure the effective implementation of non-animal methods – if there is an alternative it must be used.

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The campaign in Europe

The NAVS, together with the Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research (LDF) and Animal Defenders International (ADI) led a major campaign in Europe during debates over the first revision of lab animal rules for 25 years. Calling for the adoption of advanced techniques to replace animals in scientific research, the NAVS secured many provisions in the Directive, which will now be brought into law in the UK.

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