Sonja Bettel
Protests against animal testing already existed in the 19. Century under the keyword "vivisection", which means surgical intervention on the living organism. 1980 brought animal rights activists torturous experiments on monkeys to the public. Since then, the meaningfulness and ethics of animal experiments have been repeatedly discussed and alternatives explored, such as cell cultures for chemical tests or artificial dummies for training. In the area of biomedical research, however, the complex whole organism often has to be considered, which is why, according to the researchers, it is essential to use live animals.
In the EU, 2004 has banned animal testing for cosmetics containing EU Cosmetics Directive Since March, 2013 has also banned the sale of cosmetics products for which animal testing was conducted outside the EU.
Cosmetic manufacturers who were on "Cruelty-free" lists supply, according to the animal welfare organization PETA For several years now, the USA has been in markets where animal testing is even mandatory, such as in China.
The control of the efficacy and safety of medicinal products and medical devices must be done in accordance with pharmaceutical legislation, which is partly the case in the EU with animal testing. Regulatory animal experiments that serve the safety of consumers and the environment are also available under the chemicals, pesticides and biocidal products legislation. Here, too, research is underway to develop suitable non-animal methods.
The conduct of animal experiments for scientific purposes is subject to regulations newly regulated at EU level since 2010. Since 2013 applies in Austria the Animal Experiments Act 2012, which implements the EU Directive. It must be clarified in advance whether a test purpose can not be achieved even without living animals. Every project involving animal experiments must be approved and documented. An animal test already applies if blood is taken from an animal.
Animal experiments on apes are prohibited in Austria since 2006 without exception.
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