mr president i would like to thank all the shadow rapporteurs who have been very willing to work with me on what is an incredibly technical and difficult dossier
by working together we have been able to come up with what i believe is a good compromise
animal testing is a highly controversial and emotional area which does involve a moral dilemma
we have done our best to create a position which will improve welfare for animals used for testing and at the same time ensure that top-quality and reliable medical research can continue within europe
we have built upon the commission's proposal in many areas and most importantly we have clarified the severity classifications
we had a good compromise in the agriculture committee and it should not be picked apart at this stage
we all want to work together to refine reduce and replace animal testing
however we must remember that many vaccines and cures for diseases have been developed using animals and especially primates for example vaccines for polio diphtheria hepatitis b along with deep brain stimulation for parkinson's disease
all are examples of the benefits of animal research
to allay concerns that many members have with the use of embryonic stem cells amendment one hundred and seventy if supported will ensure that ethical decisions on this issue are made by member states themselves and not by the commission
we have a huge opportunity here to improve legislation for animal welfare and research
we should put our party differences aside and support this report
industry medical research and animal welfare organisations are convinced that this is a step forward and that we will update and improve the current legislation
if we do not deal with it in this parliament the legislation could be put back by a further two years or more which would be a retrograde step
i urge members of the house to support this report
finally as this is probably the last time i will speak in the chamber because i am retiring to go into national politics can i thank you for the courtesy with which you have treated me and thank the members of the house who have also treated me with great courtesy
