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TIME TO CONTACT YOUR MEP
The proposed text of the revised directive could be published and sent to the European Parliament within a few months, so the scientific community needs to start contacting MEPs to explain why animal research is so important and why the new directive must not restrict or delay scientific research unreasonably.
With the European Parliament, timing is crucial. If you contact MEPs too early, before there is any proposed legislative text to talk about, they won't want to know. There are so many items of legislation under discussion at any time that they only have time for those that are currently on hand. If you try to talk to them too late, the antivivisection lobbyists will have already persuaded the MEPs to support them.
However, the recent Written Declaration on primate research and several meetings about this within the Parliament have now made MEPs aware that the revised directive is soon to be sent to them.
In our judgement, we have now reached the time when European researchers must start contacting their MEPs if they want to prevent unrealistic restrictions being included in the new directive on animal research.
Remember, antivivisection groups may have emotive arguments and shocking (but inaccurate) photos, but we have one unique thing to offer MEPs - we can show them what animal research is really like. There is no other way they can really find out how laboratory animals are treated. Visits to laboratories also give them the opportunity to talk to scientists who know first-hand why it is so important for medical progress that we do study animals.
Which MEPs should you contact?
Most EU countries are divided into regions with one or more MEPs representing each region. You should obviously contact the MEPs for your region. If your country does not use regions to elect MEPs, you can invite any of your national MEPs.
You can find the MEPs for your country and region at this site: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch.do?language=EN. It allows you to click through to a profile of the MEPs with their addresses.
The best way to invite an MEP
Write to them, using the headed letterpaper of your institution, at their Brussels address and invite them to make a personal visit your laboratory. Do not try to arrange for more than one MEP to visit at a time - they are far too busy to find a time when two or more schedules are free. Do not be surprised if the first free date they can find is two months ahead - that is not unusual.
A typical letter of invitation would look something like this:
Dear xxxxxx MEP,
I am sure you are aware that the EU directive which regulates animal research (EC86/609) is currently being revised and the proposed new text is expected to be adopted by the Commission and sent to the Parliament for its first reading in a matter of weeks.
Like many medical research scientists, I am concerned that the political pressure created by lobbying groups opposed to animal research may result in a number of completely unrealistic measures being included in this directive. It is very important that our elected representatives in the European Parliament have the opportunity to find out about this scientifically crucial, but sometimes quite emotive, issue for themselves.
Accordingly, I would like to invite you to visit our research institute to see for yourself how we safeguard the welfare of laboratory animals and avoid using them whenever possible. You will be able to meet my scientific colleagues and we can explain how the research we conduct is aimed at improving our understanding of health and illness, so that we can ultimately develop better ways to treat diseases.
If your office would like to telephone me on ......... I would be pleased to find a mutually convenient date when we can invite you to visit.
How the ECBR can help
The coalition has access to information about many MEPs and can advise you about how to make your visit a success. Please contact us (matfield@ecbr.eu) if you intend to invite your MEP, so that we can help make the visit a success.