Stop experiments on non-human primates
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Doctors Against Animal Experiments and PETA launch Bundestag Petition – 30,000 signatures needed within six weeks
The organizations Doctors Against Animal Experiments (DAAE) and PETA Germany are calling for support of a petition to the German Bundestag (Parliament) that demands an end to animal testing on non-human primates in Germany. The goal is to collect at least 30,000 signatures by 20 October 2025, so that the Bundestag's Petitions Committee is required to address the issue.
The petition demands that the German Bundestag take concrete steps to abolish animal experiments on monkeys. It also calls on the federal government to advocate for a ban at the EU level.
“We can no longer accept that animals are degraded to test objects and killed in laboratories,” says Sabrina Engel of PETA Germany. “Non-human primates in particular, our closest relatives, are highly social beings with empathy and self-awareness. Their ability to suffer is shared with the millions of other animals trapped in labs. We must now send a clear political message and take the first steps: animal experiments on monkeys must end!”
In Germany, experiments on non-human primates include not only cruel toxicity tests but also invasive brain surgeries involving implanted electrodes. The animals suffer from drilled skulls and a lifetime in captivity. According to studies, the knowledge gained from such so-called basic research is less than 1%.
At least 1,600 monkeys are used in animal experiments in Germany each year. In 2023, over 1,300 of them were imported from non-EU countries. The use of long-tailed macaques, in particular, is highly problematic, as they are already listed as endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.
The petition therefore demands that the IUCN Red List be used as the decisive standard for assessing the threat status of species.
“We need a political approach that takes the protection of endangered species seriously and finally adopts the IUCN Red List as the standard,” says Dr. Melanie Seiler, primatologist and Director of Public Relations at Doctors Against Animal Experiments.
The petition also calls for a complete ban on experiments involving great apes in Germany. Current German law still allows exceptions, even though the EU Directive on the Use of Animals for Scientific Puposes requires a stricter interpretation.
In addition to banning animal experiments on primates, the petition demands that public funding for animal-free research methods be increased by at least 10% annually. This is intended to promote the targeted development and use of human-based methods.
“There are already modern, cruelty-free methods that provide more reliable results for humans,” explains Seiler. “We now need a clear redistribution of public funds in favor of animal-free research.”
Modern techniques such as organ-on-a-chip technology already offer greater predictive value for humans and can reduce drug development costs by up to 26%. Industry examples show up to 70% lower costs and 90% shorter study durations compared to tests on monkeys.
Doctors Against Animal Experiments and PETA Germany are calling on the public to sign the petition online now, so that the necessary 30,000 signatures are reached within six weeks and the topic must be debated in the Bundestag.
