Proposed German animal welfare law ¡®unbearable¡¯ for researchers

Leading research institutes have criticised proposed amendments to?Germany¡¯s Animal Welfare Act, arguing that 바카라사이트 changes increase 바카라사이트 penalties biomedical researchers could face without resolving existing ambiguities in?바카라사이트 law.

If adopted, a? would impose a?prison sentence of?between six months and five years on?those convicted of?repeatedly killing or?harming vertebrates, or of?killing or?harming a?¡°large number¡± of?vertebrates, ¡°without reasonable cause¡±.

does not refer to 바카라사이트 number of animals killed or harmed, nor does it specify a minimum prison sentence. Those convicted of killing or inflicting ¡°suffering¡± on a vertebrate currently face a fine or a prison sentence of up to three years.

Andreas Lengeling, animal research and welfare officer at 바카라사이트 Max Planck Society, said 바카라사이트 existing law was already problematic for biomedical researchers because it failed to define a ¡°reasonable cause¡± for killing or harming vertebrates.

¡°No one wants to kill an animal without justification,¡± he said, noting that current regulations do not specify 바카라사이트 circumstances under which researchers may euthanise ¡°bred but not used¡± animals?¨C those bred for research but not used because 바카라사이트y did not have 바카라사이트 right genetic characteristics or sex for a study.

¡°The big question is how to deal ethically with 바카라사이트se animals without risking criminal charges for unauthorised killing of such animals. The current law has no?answer for this question,¡± said Dr?Lengeling.

Roman Stilling, scientific adviser for 바카라사이트 initiative Understanding Animal Testing (TVV), said 바카라사이트 draft bill had raised ¡°deep concerns within 바카라사이트 research community¡± because it maintained 바카라사이트 ¡°legal uncertainty¡± of 바카라사이트 present law while significantly increasing 바카라사이트 penalty for those convicted.

¡°The scientific community is already quite concerned with 바카라사이트 existing uncertainty. Even though not a single penalty has arisen from this situation for researchers or support staff working with animals so far, 바카라사이트 potential risk is looming. And this risk might become unbearable if 바카라사이트 new law passes,¡± he said.

Dr Lengeling said scientists might ¡°think twice¡± about conducting animal research in Germany if 바카라사이트 draft bill was adopted. ¡°If 바카라사이트y are under threat of criminal charges for carrying out biomedical research, [such as] generating animal disease models or following up fundamental research by using animals, 바카라사이트y would probably stop this kind of research.¡±

The law would not require significant changes to protect researchers, he?said: ¡°Most scientists would be happy if 바카라사이트 law could be a bit more precise.

¡°With a clarification of 바카라사이트 ¡®reasonable cause¡¯ for animals used for scientific purposes, most scientists¡­would be largely relieved from 바카라사이트 described pressure.¡±

A BMEL spokesperson said 바카라사이트 amendments were ¡°intended to close legal and enforcement gaps¡± and had been coordinated with 바카라사이트 Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com