New Europe poll demands end to lab suffering and secrecy

Posted on the 12th March 2009

A major new public opinion poll conducted in six European Union countries, demonstrates massive support for a ban on primate research and the end of the secrecy that governs the twelve million experiments conducted on animals throughout the EU every year.

The poll, conducted in February and March was commissioned by a coalition of 18 animal protection organizations known as The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE). The six countries polled were France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the UK.

The results come as the European Parliament is working on a new Directive that will revise the law governing animal experiments across Europe. The findings of the ECEAE poll are strongly at odds with many of the welfare-unfriendly proposals that are currently on the table in Brussels.

Results from the opinion poll show:

81% of people surveyed agree or strongly agree the new law should prohibit all experiments causing pain or suffering to primates
79% of people agree or strongly agree the new law should prohibit all experiments on animals, which do not relate to serious or life-threatening human conditions
84% of people surveyed agree or strongly agree the new law should prohibit all experiments causing severe pain or suffering to any animal
80% of people agree or strongly agree all information about animal experiments should be publicly available, except information which is confidential and information which would identify researchers or where they work
73% of people disagree or strongly disagree that the new law should permit experiments causing pain or suffering to cats
77% of people disagree or strongly disagree that the new law should permit experiments causing pain or suffering to dogs

The next days and weeks are vital to the progress of Directive 86/609, which is currently being updated after 23 years.

Under massive pressure from pro-vivisection lobbyists, some MEPs are beginning to falter and support proposals that would seriously dilute protection for animals used in laboratory experiments. The new poll makes abundantly clear that the public will not tolerate cruelty and secrecy. It serves as a wake-up call to all of Europe’s legislators.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Write to your MEPs (you have more than one), informing them of the findings of this poll, and asking that they use their votes in the European Parliament to speed up the end of animal experiments and to provide maximum protection for those animals who continue to be used.

Find out who your MEPs are here