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Help save millions of animals lives!

On November 17th 2005, Members of the European Parliament will vote on the proposed new EU Chemicals Policy (REACH). This legislation is designed to introduce much needed controls on the production and use of chemicals, but whilst protection of human health, wildlife and the environment must be improved through REACH, the regulation should not be underpinned by cruel and outdated animal tests.

As drafted by the Commission, REACH would result in a massive increase in animal testing. South East England Green MEP Dr Caroline Lucas has put forward amendments that would replace all animal tests with non-animal alternatives, and thanks to your support, a significant number of these were accepted by the European Parliament's Environment Committee in October. The amendments adopted would cut by around 80% the total number of chemicals to be tested using animal methods.

However, the next stage of the process will see the Environment Committee Report being voted on by the whole Parliament. At this stage, the non-animal testing strategies adopted by the Committee could be rejected.

As a matter of urgency, please contact to your MEPs by 16th November, by letter, email or phone.

Each regional constituency has several MEPs. You can find out how to contact your MEPs at: www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm

For more information about the non-animal testing strategies Caroline has submitted, please see: www.reachnonanimaltests.org and if you would like further information on REACH or the non-animal tests proposed, please contact her UK office (details below).

Letters to MEPs should be concise, and should focus on the need to adopt the non-animal testing strategies agreed by the Environment Committee, amending Annexes V and VI of REACH. Supporters should also make the point that animal tests are cruel and inefficient, and must be replaced by modern, humane non-animal methods.

Please also ask MEPs to vote for:

1. mandatory data sharing, with companies refusing to share data being prevented from registering their chemicals.
2. part of the REACH registration fee paid by companies should be used to develop additional non-animal tests.
3. existing test data should be published to prevent duplicate animal testing outside the EU.

You can also find out more about lobbying your MP, with a suggested standard letter, at: www.buav.org/campaigns/chemicals/ContactingMEP.html

The REACH proposal is one of the most important areas of environmental legislation the European Parliament has ever considered. The chemicals industry has escaped proper regulation for decades: bringing chemicals into a single regulatory framework is essential to protect health and the environment, but we must ensure that this is not at the cost of a massive increase in cruel and outdated animal tests.

Please support Caroline's efforts to prevent animal suffering, especially by writing to your MEPs asking them to vote for the non-animal testing strategies on November 17th.

Dr Caroline Lucas' contact details:

Cath Miller
Constituency Co-ordinator for Caroline Lucas - Green Party MEP for SE England
Suite 58 The Hop Exchange
24 Southwark Street
London Bridge
London SE1 1TY

Tel: +44 (0)20 7407 6281
Fax: +44 (0)20 7234 0183
Email: carolinelucas@greenmeps.org.uk
Website: www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk

If you would like to receive monthly email news bulletins about Caroline's
work please send an email with the word 'INFO' in the subject header.

Uncaged Campaigns 08.11.05

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