European politicians have altered key provisions in draft legislation that will eventually govern all animal experiments in the EU.

The European Parliament's agriculture committee voted on 31 March to amend many of the rules that had most worried academic and industry groups when the first draft of a new Europe-wide directive was unveiled last year.

Researchers had previously warned the rules put forth in the first draft would increase costs and bureaucracy without any commensurate gains in animal welfare. Those working with nonhuman primates also worried the new directive would shut down much of their work, as it contained a provision against primate work not related to “life-threatening or debilitating clinical conditions” in humans (see Nat. Med. 14, 1293; 2008).

However, the agriculture committee voted 19 to 7, with three abstentions, to approve amendments allowing nonhuman primate work in all areas of medical research. The committee also made reuse of animals easier and moved to “prevent red tape, which would bring little benefit in terms of animal welfare,” it said in a statement.

As Nature Medicine went to press, a vote by the European Parliament on the amended directive was expected at the start of May. After the vote, the European Commission and the European Council both have their say before the parliament votes again.

Antivivisectionist groups have accused the agriculture committee of bowing to pressure from industry and research groups and vowed to attempt to reverse changes in May.