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Commission publishes expert reports on Directive revision
The European Commission has published the reports of the Technical Expert Working Group it set up to assist in the process of revising Directive 86/609 on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. The TEWG was formed in June last year and was asked to produce reports on a series of aspects of the regulation of animal experimentation which were identified by the Commission.
The reports have been published on the Commission's web site in a new laboratory animals section which can be found at http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/chemicals/lab_animals/revision_en.htm. The web site notes that the wording of the existing Directive "follows international Conventions" and that "a significant number of its provisions are open to interpretation, and the style of some provisions is more political rather than regulatory in nature." Moreover, it points out that since the existing Directive was adopted in 1986, the Treaty of Rome had been amended by the inclusion of a protocol on animal welfare which provides that "In formulating and implementing the Community's agriculture, transport, internal market and research policies, the Community and the Member States shall pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage."
In addition to giving the full text of the four reports produced by the TEWG, the web site explains the working group's method of operation and lists the organisations that nominated people to serve on it. In a final 'Next Steps' section, the Commission confirms that, following an internal consultation, it will produce a first draft of the new Directive which will be the subject of a stakeholder consultation. Based on the results of that consultation, the draft will be revised "as appropriate".
However, this section of the web site also notes that some parts of the revised Directive may require an impact assessment to be carried out and there may be legal questions (eg about extending the Directive to cover the use of animals in basic research) that need to be resolved. The timescale for the drafting process, it notes, will depend on these factors.
The hiatus likely to arise from the changes in the Commission, upheavals likely to be caused by the enlargement process, and the European elections in June mean that the original target date of 2004 for the legislative proposal looks less and less likely.