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Bulletin Archive 1997
Bulletin Issue November 1997
Genetically-modified food - the debate continues
The use of genetically modified plants in food is the subject of a growing dispute both within Europe and between Europe and the USA. The argument started many years ago...more
New European Commission animal welfare committee
In a move aimed at boosting consumer confidence, the European Commission has reorganised Directorate-General XXIV, which is responsible for consumer policy and health protection. Whilst other DG's will still be...more
Harmonisation of international toxicity testing guidelines for pharmaceuticals
Contribution to refinement and reduction in animal useOn 10th March, the Commissioner responsible for the Directive on animal experimentation, spoke to the Eurogroup for Animal Welfare. Although Commissioner Bjerregaard has...more
Bulletin Issue August 1997
Patients and the European Parliament
Lobbying and the Biotechnology DirectiveScientific progress in biotechnology has resulted in existing intellectual property laws being asked to cope with situations that were only ideas in the fertile brains of...more
IGC agrees protocol on animal welfare
For many years, the leading animal welfare groups in Europe have been campaigning to change the status of animals in the Treaty of Rome. The Treaty, first signed in 1957,...more
Multilateral Consultations at Council of Europe
In addition to the European Union's Directive 86/609, the other European legislation concerning animal experimentation is the Council of Europe's Convention EST 123. Almost all of the provisions of the...more
Commission ethical advisors deliver opinion on cloning
At the height of the media reporting about the cloning of a sheep from an adult mammary gland cell by the team at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, Jaques Santer,...more
ECVAM report: monoclonal antibody production
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have many important roles in fundamental research, biotechnology research and development, clinical diagnosis and some therapies. In many ways they are a good example of the importance...more
Bulletin Issue May 1997
The Swiss genetic engineering initiative
The impact of genetic engineering and biotechnology has increased in the past 20 years and both are now considered to be key technologies for the 21st century. As these technologies...more
Target 2000, the conference on the 50% reduction target
Under the Title Target 2000 , a conference on the 50% reduction target was held in Brussels in April. The main initiative for the conference came from the European Coalition...more
Critical report for ECVAM
The European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods is located at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) at Ispra in Northern Italy. The JRC is the main research centre set...more
Cosmetics testing - back to the drawing board
It has now been confirmed that the ban on the marketing of animal-tested cosmetics (and cosmetics containing animal-tested ingredients) will be postponed until at least 1st June 2000. Under the...more
Bulletin Issue February 1997
European Parliament attempts to resurrect the 50% target
The Commission and Parliament continue to fight over the '5th Environmental Action Programme'. The proposal for a target of a 50% reduction in the number of animals used in experiments...more
Congress on the ethics of animal experimentation
Early in 1995, EBRA and the Federation of Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA) submitted an application for a grant to Directorate-General XII of the European Commission, proposing that they should...more
Opinion on the genetic modification of animals
Genetic modification of animals may contribute to human well being and welfare, but is acceptable only when the aims are ethically justified and when it is carried out under ethical...more
The ethics of the genetic manipulation of animals
When the European Commission drafts proposals for Directives relating to biotechnology or considers how to apply existing directives in this area, one of the strong influences comes from its own...more