Questions to the French Government

21 April 2008

In the context of recent meetings about “Animals and Society”, the Pro Anima Scientific Committee posed 7 Questions to the French Government :

Northern Europe and the USA are actually sustituting cellular and molecular biological methods for animal testing techniques (Reuters, Washington — released 14 February 2008)

More or less everywhere new patents are leading to new job opportunities in both teaching and research.. so how are we doing in France, especially considering the rapid development of new methods derived principally from advances in biology, cellular and molecular biology and bio-mathematics.

1. What steps does the Government intend to take to support the validation of so-called “alternative” methods, particularly in the field of toxicology, with respect to the REACH protocol (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemical products).
2. How will viable techniques for toxicity measurement that are not dependent on animal models be supported, not just scientifically but in terms of legislation, as part of a general movement to a more modern and more ethical legislative regime ?
3. What kind of support can the state offer to business moving in this new direction ? what can laboratories engaged in such work expect ?
4. What incentivizing legislation does the Government plan to enact ?
5. Do you plan to support the legal proposal for conscientious objection to animal experimentation, considering that Italy and Belgium have already adopted such a law ?
6. What is the role and the programme of the “Groupement d’intérêt Scientifique sur les méthodes alternatives à l’expérimentation animale” set up in November 2007 ?
7. Does the Government plan to publish new statistics on animal experimentation in state laboratories, and to require regular reports from private laboratories ?

Professor Jean-François BEQUAIN

Président