Petition to end primate research presented to German Parliament

Representatives from PETA and Doctors Against Animal Experiments presented to the petition committee of the German Parliament on 1 December, calling for a phased EU-wide end to primate research.  

The petition, which gathered 40,000 signatures, demands a full ban on great ape studies, revisions to EU law, use of IUCN Red List criteria for primate protection, and a 10% annual increase in funding for non-animal research methods. 

EARA briefed MPs ahead of the hearing, stressing that primate studies remain vital for developing treatments and vaccines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS (observing World AIDS Day on 1 December) and COVID-19, and warning against politically driven restrictions before alternatives are ready. The German Research Foundation (DFG) also rejected the petition’s claims, noting that primate studies make up just 0.1% of all animal procedures and are essential for fields such as transplantation, neuroscience and infectious diseases. 

During the committee hearing, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and MPs from the CDU/CSU and SPD defended the continued use of primates, arguing that a ban would hinder biomedical progress and push research abroad. Only one MP, from Die Linke, backed the petition, questioning the scientific value of primate research. 

The petition committee is expected to issue their recommendation for the plenary vote in the German Parliament soon.