Call for Action:
For world-leading, innovative and responsible medical research in Europe

Whereas,

• Europe must remain a world leader in medical research and biological innovation in order to address the unmet medical needs of its citizens and to preserve its capacity to shape its health strategies;
• Research involving animals has facilitated major breakthroughs in medicine, and our fundamental understanding of biology, which have transformed science, human and animal health;
• All healthcare products must comply with the highest safety, quality and efficacy requirements set in national and European legislation. Those conducting biomedical research should have access to the most adequate models and approaches to achieve this non-negotiable objective;
• While it may eventually be desirable to replace the use of animals in biomedical research, research involving animals, although a small part of biomedical research, continues to be crucial to:
      o Protect human, animal, and environmental health;
      o Maintain the ability to respond to regulatory demands, and;
      o Understand the functioning of complex biological systems in the body;
      o Understand causes of diseases of bodily systems including the brain
• European legislation supports research involving animals only when there are no alternative methods, where the potential benefits are compelling, when it is scientifically, legally and ethically justified, and welfare standards are met;
• Directive 2010/63/EU has enhanced animal welfare standards and mandated the application of refinement, replacement and reduction (‘3Rs’) across the EU, while ensuring Europe remains a world leader in biomedical research.

The undersigned,
Call upon the scientific community, including research funders, to enhance implementation of Directive 2010/63, and support the culture of care, challenge and openness for research involving animals

Call upon the European Commission and Member States to provide the necessary resources to fully implement Directive 2010/63/EU, ensuring that Europe remains a world leader in, responsible and innovative biomedical research; in particular to:

• Facilitate access to guidance and information to those responsible for research programmes (“one stop shop”, 3Rs information search hubs);
• Support EU and national initiatives, including public/private partnership, that enable development and validation of new research paradigms and integration of new sciences or technologies into research and regulatory practice, increasing the quality of science and animal welfare;
• Facilitate continued open dialogue between stakeholders about the realities of current scientific research and future prospects of science and technology;
• Facilitate the exchange of good practice at pan-European, national, regional and local levels for researchers, and those reviewing, assessing and authorising new science

Basel Declaration Society
Belgian Brain Council
European Academy of Neurology
European Animal Research Association
European Brain Council
European Chapter of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations
European Huntington Association
European Society of Laboratory Animal Veterinarians
Fédération Européenne des Académies de Médecine (FEAM)
Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations
Federation of European Neuroscience Societies
French Academy of Medical Sciences
French Brain Council
German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
Global Alliance for Mental Health Advocacy Networks Europe
Groupe Interprofessionnel de Réflexion et de Communication sur la Recherche
International Brain Research Organization – Pan European Regional Committee
International Bureau for Epilepsy
International League Against Epilepsy
Serbian Brain Council
Wellcome Trust