Brexit: A Boon or a Curse for Animals Used in Scientific Procedures?

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Many animal welfare laws, including those regulating animals used in scientific procedures, have been impacted by the EU. The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) is the main legislation in the UK governing animals used in scientific procedures and was amended with the introduction of Directive 2010/63/EU. Though in some ways it seemed that the Directive would improve the welfare of animals in scientific procedures, this may have not been the case. In light of Brexit, the UK faces challenges in maintaining the protection for these animals, particularly with no longer having access to REACH and the risk of duplicate experiments. There are also, however, opportunities to increase the protection already established and build upon the UK’s reputation of being a leader in animal welfare. This includes more transparency of experiments carried out, utilizing more non-animal methodologies and ending severe suffering. This article will explore the potential implications of Brexit on the welfare of animals used in experiments, focusing on legislation surrounding their welfare and protection. It will also suggest ways in which this protection can be progressed, with potentially more freedom to amend or introduce legislation to do so. ABSTRACT: The UK has long been hailed as one of the world leaders in animal welfare. Within the UK, animals used in experiments are provided some protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). This Act was impacted by European Union (EU) Directive 2010/63/EU, and subsequently the ASPA was updated to reflect any changes required. While the Directive is very similar to the protection the UK already afforded to animals used in experiments, there were some advances that the Directive provided that were not present in the ASPA. On paper, the changes introduced were promising but may not have been achieved in practice. In 2016, the British public voted to leave the EU, which presented concerns over animal welfare protection and legislation provided by EU law. With the completion of Brexit, there may be an opportunity to diverge from the Directive to advance protection for animals used in experiments. This article explores the influence that the EU has had on animal experimentation in the UK, the potential implications of Brexit on the welfare of animals used in experiments and suggests ways in which this protection can be progressed, with potentially more freedom to amend or introduce legislation to do so.