Protection of animals: European Convention on vertebrates used for experimental purposes

This proposal, which was amended prior to the European Parliament delivering its opinion, is designed to introduce a reservation in the proposal for a decision concluding, on behalf of the Community, the European Convention for the protection of vertebrates used for experimental purposes. The principles and objectives of this convention, which a majority of Member States has now signed or ratified, were communitarised by a Council directive on the protection of vertebrates (Directive 86/609/EEC). Under this directive, the Community harmonises the legislative, regulatory and administrative provisions on the protection of vertebrates in order to prevent distortions of competition among Member States. It has emerged that this Community directive does not provide for the compulsory annual communication of statistical data required under Article 28 of the convention. However, the convention does allow for a reservation in this respect (Article 34). The directive would have to be amended in order to comply with the obligation under the convention to communicate annual statistics. However, given how difficult it would be for the Member States to forward these statistics every year, the Community will have to apply the reservation provided to this end in the convention, thus avoiding having to amend the directive. The purpose of the modified proposal is as follows: to approve the Convention on vertebrates subject to Article 28(1), which requires the contracting states to communicate statistical data on the number and categories of animals used for experimental purposes.�