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Timeline - EU Animals Directive 86/609/EEC
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January 2013
- If the process runs as expected , this is the likely deadline for implementation of the Directive in the UK. At this point it will replace the current Act governing research using animals in the UK - The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
end 2010
- The Directive will be formally 'adopted' by all European member states towards the end of 2010. The UK will have two years to incorporate the requirements of the Directive into UK law. This may be done through new regulations or primary legislation.
September 2010
- The European Council expected to formally approve the proposed revisions to the Directive.
8 September 2010
3-4 June 2010
17 May 2010
- The Agriculture and Rural Development committee passed the proposed revisions to the Directive. These will now go before the European Parliament for a second reading.
11 May 2010
- The European Council agreed the proposed revisions to the Directive.
April 2010
- Provisional agreement reached between the European Council and Parliament on the proposed revisions to the Directive.
10 November 2009
- House of Lords European Union select committee (Environment & Agriculture) publishes the report of its inquiry into the Revision of the Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes.
9 November 2009
- AMRC and the Genetic Interest Group (GIG) jointly contact MEPs sitting on the European Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development (AGRI) ahead of a meeting discussing the revision of the Directive to restate the views of our members.
20 July 2009
- House of Lords European Union select committee (Environment & Agriculture) write to the Home Office Minister Lord West of Spithead with emerging conclusions from their inquiry into the proposed revision of the EU Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes.
8 July 2009
- House of Lords European Union select committee (Environment & Agriculture) evidence session as part of the Inquiry in the Review of the EU Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes with Dr Katy Taylor, Scientific Co-ordinator, Mr David Thomas, Legal Adviser, and Ms Samira Gazzane, European Policy Officer.
3 July 2009
- AMRC submits evidence to the Home Office Consultation on Protecting Animals Used in Scientific Research as part of a coalition of UK Bioscience organisations.
1 July 2009
- Sweden takes over the Presidency of the EU
24 June 2009
- House of Lords European Union select committee (Environment & Agriculture) evidence session as part of the Inquiry in the Review of the EU Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes with Sir Mark Walport, Director, Wellcome Trust; Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Chief Executive, Medical Research Council; and Professor Max Headley, University of Bristol, representing the UK Bioscience Federation.
17 June 2009
- House of Lords European Union select committee (Environment & Agriculture) evidence session as part of the Inquiry in the Review of the EU Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes with Dr Maggy Jennings, Head, Animal Research Department, and Mr David Bowles, Head of External Affairs Department, RSPCA.
10 June 2009
- House of Lords European Union select committee (Environment & Agriculture) evidence session as part of the Inquiry in the Review of the EU Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes with Professor Tim Hammond, Vice-President, Safety Assessment UK, AstraZeneca, Dr Paul Brooker, Director, UK Operations, Huntingdon Life Sciences, and Dr Colin Dunn, Country Manager Charles River UK and Executive Director European Veterinary & Professional Services, representatives of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.
3 June 2009
- House of Lords European Union select committee (Environment & Agriculture) evidence session with Susanna Louhimies, Environment Directorate, European Commission.
21 May 2009
- AMRC submits evidence to the House of Lords European Union select committee (Environment & Agriculture) Inquiry into the Revision of the Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes. Call for evidence.
8 May 2009
4-5 May 2009
- European Parliament plenary sessions, MEPs debated the European Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI Committee)'s report. The report was adopted (with amendments) by 540 votes in favour to 66 against with 34 abstentions (Stage 2 in the codescision procedure).
1 May 2009
- Letter to MEPs in anticipation of plenary vote from AMRC and GIG
April 2009
- John Purvis MEP hosted a reception for AMRC and GIG in Brussels bringing patients and researchers to meet with MEPs and explain why they are keen to ensure that the proposed revisions of Directive 86/609/EEC, while raising welfare standards for animals, will not hinder medical advances but foster the best possible environment for well-regulated medical research across the EU.
- AMRC, GIG and Understanding Animal Research launch Remember the Patients campaign encouraging patients to write to their MEPs and urge them to consider their support for well-regulated medical research to continue across the EU when deciding how to vote.
- House of Lords European Union select committee (Environment & Agriculture) launches an Inquiry into the Revision of the Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes with a call for evidence to be submitted by 21 May 2009.
- Eleven leading organisations representing the UK bioscience sector - including AMRC - issue a Declaration of Support for the AGRI Committee's report - the Parish report. This report proposes a raft of amendments to European regulation of animal research. However some strong reservations about some of these proposed amendments remain which will need to be addressed in future stages of the revision of the Directive.
March 2009
- AGRI Committee adopts final report on the Protection of animals used for scientific purposes by 19 votes to 7 with 3 abstentions.
- The report makes several amendments to the directive including rejecting the idea that tests using non-human primates should be restricted to 'life-threatening or debilitating' conditions which could have ruled out must fundamental research on which the development of future medicines and treatments is based.
- Understanding Animal Research has responded to the vote.
- As the AGRI Committee considered its report on the Protection of animals used for scientific purposes, nine key UK bioscience organisations - including AMRC - have signed a Declaration of Concern about revision of EU Directive 86/609, urging MEPs to take a balanced view on revision of European regulation of animal research.
- Sophie Petit-Zeman (AMRC) commented on the revised Directive.
February 2009
- AGRI Committee hearing included consideration of Protection of animals uses for scientific purposes - agenda available here - Sophie Petit-Zeman (AMRC) spoke from the floor on behalf of patients and their support for well-regulated medical research using animals.
- AMRC and GIG sent a joint letter to all UK MEPs in support of well-regulated medical research using animals.
January 2009
- AGRI Committee discussed the draft revision of EU Directive 86/609/EEC and agreed a timetable for first reading. (Item 17 on agenda)
- The AGRI Committee appointed Neil Parish MEP as rapporteur to lead the consideration of the Directive.
December 2008
November 2008
- Draft revision of EU Directive 86/609/EEC by DG Environment of the European Commission published.
November 2006
- A joint declaration – Animal Welfare in Europe: achievement and future prospects – is made by the Council of Europe (CoE), the European Union (EU) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
January 2006
- The European Commission adopts an Action Plan on the protection and welfare of animals
November 2005
- Opinion adopted from the Animal Health and Animal Welfare Panel (AHAW) of the European Food Safety Authority on questions related to the revision:
- Whether the scope should include some invertebrate species and foetal/embryonic forms
- Which animals should be purpose bred
- Identifying humane methods of euthanasia
- European Partnership on Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA) launched to promote the development of the 3Rs – refine, reduce, replace
- Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) opinion on BUAV report “Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: a Non-animal Testing Approach"
July 2004
- Scientific Committee on Cosmetics and non-food products (SCCNFP) opinion on ECVAM “Report for establishing the timetable for phasing out animal testing for the purpose of the Cosmetics Directive”
January 2004
- Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment (CSTEE) report on “The way forward – Action to end animal toxicity testing” published by BUAV-ECEAE
2003
- The European Commission's Environment Directorate-General (DG) organised a Technical Expert Working Group (TEWG) to collect scientific and technical background information for the revision of Directive 86/609/EEC
December 2002
- The European Commission's Environment Directorate-General (DG) adopts the opinion of the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare (SCAHAW) on the welfare of non-human primates used in experiments
November 2002
- European Parliament adopts report A5-0387/2002. The rapporteur, Jillian Evans, calls for the Commission to produce a proposal to revise Directive 86/609/EEC
April 2002
- European Commission Scientific Steering Committee report – The need for non-human primates in biomedical research
May 1997
- Group of Advisers to the European Commission on the Ethical Implications of Biotechnology (GAEIB) report – Ethical aspects of cloning techniques
May 1996
- Group of Advisers to the European Commission on the Ethical Implications of Biotechnology (GAEIB) report – Ethical aspects of genetic modification of animals
1991
- The European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) set up
1986
- EU Animals Directive 86/609/EEC adopted
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