EU Commission will publish more detailed and more regular reports
We are pleased to hear that the European Commission intends to increase transparency on animal experiments across Europe. The Commission plans to centralise information about animals used in experiments from all EU member states on a more regular basis.
The announcement was made after criticism from our sister organisation theEuropean Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) about the standard of reporting on the numbers of animals used in tests and lack of detail about experiments. The Commission wants to make information publicly available more quickly and improve the quality and consistency of its reports.
Included in its proposals, the Commission says that:
- Summaries of animal experiments will be published within 6 months.
- Information will be published centrally in a searchable database from 2020 using a better format.
- Annual statistical reports will also be published and kept in a public database.
Dr Katy Taylor, Director of Science & Regulatory Affairs at Cruelty Free International and the ECEAE, says: “We are delighted to see the Commission take steps to assist member states to more efficiently and effectively satisfy their reporting obligations under EU Directive. These proposals, if adopted, will significantly improve the accessibility of the information on animal experiments to the public. This will help us all understand how and why animals are still used in experiments and the efforts that are being made, or not, to reduce and replace them. This move by the Commission shows that they are listening and is a vindication of the work Cruelty Free International and ECEAE is doing to help improve the EU’s policy for animals.”