About Remember the Patients
Revision of European Directive 86/609 - why it matters
What is happening?
Animal research has contributed to many of the medical advances we now take for granted and continues to play a central role in understanding why we get ill and developing new treatments for people across the globe.
The laws governing medical research using animals across the EU (Directive 86/609) were drawn up in the 1980s and are now being revised. This is an important opportunity to raise welfare standards for animals, while also allowing well-regulated medical research into medical conditions to continue.
Why should you care?
Research using animals is part of the scientific process by which we understand disease and develop treatments, and vaccines and cures too.
The UK is one of the world leaders in neuroscience and vaccine research and animal work is set to play a vital role in understanding and discovering ways to prevent and treat diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, to name just a few.
We need an environment that allows such research to go ahead, and the revised Directive as it stands poses a threat to this. You and your loved ones could be among those who would suffer as a result.
What can you do?
Members of the European Parliament will be voting on the Directive in early May 2009. This matters to you and your voice matters to them! The Association of Medical Research Charities, the Genetic Interest Group and Understanding Animal Research are launching a Remember the Patients campaign.
You can make a real difference by writing to your MEPs and reminding them how this could affect you, your mother, your child, your brother or your friend. Ask them to 'Remember you' when they vote on the Directive.
IMAGE©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/KKILLER
Go to the EU Parliament directory of MEPs. Select your region and you will see a list of all the MEPs that represent you and their email addresses.
Tell them briefly why animal research matters to you; send a link to our Remember the Patients postcards page, or paste some of the text into your email. Do not include images or attachments with your email as this may result in the email being rejected.
Please send us a copy of what you send your MEPs, and a copy of anything you get back from them.
Your email
Subject: EU Directive 86/609 - Remember the Patients
Dear [insert MEP’s name],
I am writing as your constituent, asking you to remember [me/my story/my XXX] when voting on Directive 86/609.
Without animal research, scientists across Europe would have difficulty understanding ill health or developing many of the treatments which keep us alive or give us quality of life. For example, medicines for diabetes, asthma and leukaemia and medical procedures such as blood transfusions and transplant surgery may not have been possible without animal research.
Well-regulated, essential animal research continues to be accepted by the vast majority of people in the vast majority of opinion polls. It underpins many aspects of medical progress. Scientists in Europe must be allowed to continue understanding and developing treatments for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Such things affect us all. Please remember the patients when you vote in May.
[insert your name and postcode]
What else can you do?
Submit your story for use on this website.
Sign up for our regular news and alerts.
APRIL 2009
Recommended for you
You might also like:
We especially recommend the following pages:
Get in-depth information on the contribution of animal research to medicine
