Moldovan parliament passes law on protection of animanls used on experimental purposes

Chisinau, 19 October /MOLDPRES/ - The law on the protection of animals used on experimental purposes or other scientific purposes was adopted by the majority vote of the MPs today.  

The initiative belonged to the former Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry and provides for a stricter regulation of the possibility to use animals in scientific experiments.  

The document adopted today bans the use of animals in experiments, if there is another way of achieving the goal of the study. At the same time, the act establishes the use of a minimum number of animals in experiments.   

Also, the experiments must be set in such as way, so as to avoid animals’ tormenting. If it is necessary to sacrifice the animal, this will be made in a quick way.  

The new law also specifies the breeds of animals which can be used in experiments. Mice, rats, guinea pigs, Syrian and Chinese hamsters, hares, dogs and cats, as well as all types of non-human primates, frogs, amphibians can be used for scientific researches.   

The act will allow the use of animals in order to test the quality, efficiency and safety of medicines, food products and other substances or products, for environmental protection in the interest of health and well-being of men and animals, as well as for testing cosmetic preparations.  

The new legislative provisions ban the use of wild animals or extinguishing animals on experimental and other scientific purposes.   

To use animals in experiments, scientists will need a permit due to be issued by the National Food Safety Agency.

(Reporter A. Zara, editor M. Jantovan)