The ministry has finally backed away from the proposal to centralize control over primate research. It has been a long and draining road to pull this off but we achieved the outcome we fought for. Stay alert because we need to remain ready if this issue returns.
January 24, 2014
Final supporters
Recently, the Belgian government, in particular the ministry of Health, has asked the European Commission to permit them to be more restrictive than the Directive 2010/63/EU by allowing them to forbid addiction research on nonhuman primates (NHP) in Belgium and possibly even to stop all nonhuman primate research in Belgium. This question is currently under investigation by the EU commission.
In parallel, other actions at the level of the Belgian government aim to limit if not stop biomedical research involving nonhuman primates by giving power to the minister responsible for animal welfare (which currently is the minister of Health in Belgium) to decide on the authorization of each individual project. The new proposal states that the minister will appoint members of a new national advisory Ethical Commission, specifically dedicated to nonhuman primate research. This national commission will give an advice on every nonhuman primate project, in addition to the local ethical committee. Every project involving NHP will have to be approved by the minister, which is free to follow or ignore the advice of the national and the local ethical committee. Thus, the minister will have the power to decide her/himself on each nonhuman primate project, which potentially can lead to decisions that may halt scientific progress and impair human welfare and health eventually. In particular, politically active animal rights extremists may have a strong impact on these decisions.
This proposal runs counter to the new EU Directive (articles 37 and 38), which specifies the procedures for project authorization and project evaluation. No specific procedures for NHP projects have been identified in the EU Directive.
Numerous scientific reports state that progress in biomedical research necessitates experiments on nonhuman primates (monkeys). As acknowledged by the recent Directive 2010/63/EU on animal experimentation, this includes basic (fundamental) research as well as more applied research. Therefore we ask that the Belgian authorities comply with the 2010 EU Directive, allowing basic and clinical research peer-reviewed projects that involve nonhuman primates and that adhere to the animal welfare regulations stipulated in that Directive, and refrain from more extreme and restrictive actions that will impair scientific and medical progress.
Sincerely Yours,
Updates
November 13, 2013
We hit one thousand signatures today. The weight of this fight is heavy and some days feel like we are shouting into a void, but seeing this number reminds me that I am not alone in this concern.
Reached 1,000 supporters
November 11, 2013
Reached 100 supporters
November 6, 2013
November 4, 2013
The exhaustion of this fight is starting to settle in but I refuse to let this issue fade from view. We are creeping toward our first hundred signatures and I need you to help push us over that threshold today. The people who want to halt this research are counting on us to get tired and walk away.
48 Comments
Addiction is a brain disease. Humane research using nonhuman primates is crucial so that we can better understand diseases and develop more effective treatments. This is particular true for brain diseases.
It is irresponsible to take new drugs and treatments into humans without having done any testing on non human primates. Otherwise I do suggest that everybody who is against the use of primates is either not taking any kind of medicine or vaccination or treatment unless they have volunteered for at least one first in man trial.
I support this petition to cause the Belgian Government to think again about this measure, which will be an interference with properly conducted, ethical research.
Given a minister the power to interfere with decisions taken by the local ethical committee would create a very dangerous precedent and open the door widely for further meddling by politicians in science.
Research on NHP (and lab animals in general) is absolutely necessary before starting clinical research. Will the society accept adverse events of new drugs entering phase I or II on volunteers? The volunteers will accept that?
I must say I'm really impressed by the nice write-up you have here. You actually did a great job, unlike most bloggers I've seen on the internet talking about this particular topic. Just reading the first few paragraphs, I was already locked in the content. Bravo and keep up the good work. Here is a site where you can download and stream movies free.
STOP ANIMAL RESARCH
Share Petition
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The ministry has finally backed away from the proposal to centralize control over primate research. It has been a long and draining road to pull this off but we achieved the outcome we fought for. Stay alert because we need to remain ready if this issue returns.
January 24, 2014
Final supporters
Recently, the Belgian government, in particular the ministry of Health, has asked the European Commission to permit them to be more restrictive than the Directive 2010/63/EU by allowing them to forbid addiction research on nonhuman primates (NHP) in Belgium and possibly even to stop all nonhuman primate research in Belgium. This question is currently under investigation by the EU commission.
In parallel, other actions at the level of the Belgian government aim to limit if not stop biomedical research involving nonhuman primates by giving power to the minister responsible for animal welfare (which currently is the minister of Health in Belgium) to decide on the authorization of each individual project. The new proposal states that the minister will appoint members of a new national advisory Ethical Commission, specifically dedicated to nonhuman primate research. This national commission will give an advice on every nonhuman primate project, in addition to the local ethical committee. Every project involving NHP will have to be approved by the minister, which is free to follow or ignore the advice of the national and the local ethical committee. Thus, the minister will have the power to decide her/himself on each nonhuman primate project, which potentially can lead to decisions that may halt scientific progress and impair human welfare and health eventually. In particular, politically active animal rights extremists may have a strong impact on these decisions.
This proposal runs counter to the new EU Directive (articles 37 and 38), which specifies the procedures for project authorization and project evaluation. No specific procedures for NHP projects have been identified in the EU Directive.
Numerous scientific reports state that progress in biomedical research necessitates experiments on nonhuman primates (monkeys). As acknowledged by the recent Directive 2010/63/EU on animal experimentation, this includes basic (fundamental) research as well as more applied research. Therefore we ask that the Belgian authorities comply with the 2010 EU Directive, allowing basic and clinical research peer-reviewed projects that involve nonhuman primates and that adhere to the animal welfare regulations stipulated in that Directive, and refrain from more extreme and restrictive actions that will impair scientific and medical progress.
Sincerely Yours,
Updates
November 13, 2013
We hit one thousand signatures today. The weight of this fight is heavy and some days feel like we are shouting into a void, but seeing this number reminds me that I am not alone in this concern.
Reached 1,000 supporters
November 11, 2013
Reached 100 supporters
November 6, 2013
November 4, 2013
The exhaustion of this fight is starting to settle in but I refuse to let this issue fade from view. We are creeping toward our first hundred signatures and I need you to help push us over that threshold today. The people who want to halt this research are counting on us to get tired and walk away.
48 Comments
I have two EU grants using NHP and many partners involved in Europa. I am the only one having the right to use the NHP model... How could I achieve my work and the works of other partners if rules are changing now when we begin these two EU networks!!!
Addiction is a brain disease. Humane research using nonhuman primates is crucial so that we can better understand diseases and develop more effective treatments. This is particular true for brain diseases.
It is irresponsible to take new drugs and treatments into humans without having done any testing on non human primates. Otherwise I do suggest that everybody who is against the use of primates is either not taking any kind of medicine or vaccination or treatment unless they have volunteered for at least one first in man trial.
I support this petition to cause the Belgian Government to think again about this measure, which will be an interference with properly conducted, ethical research.
Given a minister the power to interfere with decisions taken by the local ethical committee would create a very dangerous precedent and open the door widely for further meddling by politicians in science.
Research on NHP (and lab animals in general) is absolutely necessary before starting clinical research. Will the society accept adverse events of new drugs entering phase I or II on volunteers? The volunteers will accept that?
I must say I'm really impressed by the nice write-up you have here. You actually did a great job, unlike most bloggers I've seen on the internet talking about this particular topic. Just reading the first few paragraphs, I was already locked in the content. Bravo and keep up the good work. Here is a site where you can download and stream movies free.
STOP ANIMAL RESARCH
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I have two EU grants using NHP and many partners involved in Europa. I am the only one having the right to use the NHP model... How could I achieve my work and the works of other partners if rules are changing now when we begin these two EU networks!!!