Brussels-Capital Region sets specific target to reduce animal testing
GAIA: ‘A first in Belgium, which brings hope for the tens of thousands of animals suffering in the laboratories of the Brussels region’
GAIA also welcomes the fact that the Brussels Government draws inspiration from the Netherlands, which has clearly set out its aim of becoming a world leader in research without animal testing. The note also mentions that a consultation is currently being organised with Wallonia and Flanders for the creation of a Belgian centre for alternatives to animal testing, as stipulated in the law of 9 June 2009. The aim is to stimulate research, development and validation, in particular through reliability and utility tests, of alternatives to animal testing.
Before the implementation of this plan, which will be written into an ordinance in the coming months, the Brussels Region intends to carry out a consultation with various partners, including the Animal Experimentation Commission, the Scientific Policy Council, the academic, scientific and industrial sectors, as well as the Brussels Council for Animal Welfare, of which GAIA is a representative. ‘We are of course ready to participate constructively in future consultations, and we hope that all those involved will share a real willingness to achieve these objectives,’ concludes Ann De Greef.
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