Legislation
UK and European Legislation
This page provides links to reference material relevant to the use of animals in scientific procedures.
UK legislation
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Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
This information is on official archives website. The link will open in a new window.
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Guidance on the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
This information is on official archives website. The link will open in a new window.
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Codes of Practice
Download codes of practice relating to care and housing of laboratory animals, including breeding and humane killing.
European legislation
Background
European Directive 86/609/EEC
Council Directive 86/609/EEC makes provision for the protection of animals used for experimental or other scientific purposes. It is transposed into United Kingdom law by the Animals (Scientific procedures) Act 1986.
At the 19th meeting of National Competent Authorities on 29 November 2001, the European Commission announced that it intended to review and revise Directive 86/609/EEC. The Proposals for the Revision of Directive 86/609/EEC have now been published.
This is now being considered, under the European co-decision procedure, by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.
Initial work in the European Parliament (EP) has been taken forward by the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee (Agri). The rapporteur is the chair of the committee, Neil Parish, UK MEP for the South West of England and Gibraltar. Two other committees – Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and Industry, Research and Energy – have also considered the proposal.
The Home Office held a formal public consultation on the Commission’s proposal between 8 May and 3 July 2009. The consultation document set out the Government’s initial analysis and views on the proposal and its preliminary impact assessment. This document outlines and summarises the responses to the consultation. Read the summary report on the public consultation on the Revision of EC Directive 86-609.
Debate in the House of Commons
In the UK, the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee debated the Commission’s proposal on 3 February.
Meg Hillier, Home Office Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, opened the debate for the government and answered questions from members on the government’s approach to negotiation of the proposed directive. The proposal was also discussed in an adjournment debate on 24 February. Visit the Parliament UK website to read the Adjournment debate (new window) and the Scrutiny Committee (new window) debate.
Sub-Committee D of the House of Lords EU Scrutiny Committee has now taken oral evidence from a number of witnesses as part of its inquiry into the proposed new directive and published its emerging conclusions on 20 July. These can be found at:
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/lords_press_notices/pn200709eud.cfm
Negotiation of the directive
The Commission published its proposal for a new directive to replace Directive 86/609/
‘Trilogue’ discussions between the Swedish Presidency, the Commission and the European Parliament, concluded just before Christmas, agreed most of the provisions of a common text. The only outstanding aspects relate to the new arrangements for ‘delegated and implementing acts’ introduced under the Lisbon Treaty. These will be used to update ‘non-essential’ aspects of the Directive after it has been adopted. Spain has now taken over the Presidency and will take the lead in finalising these arrangements. Once they are agreed, the way should then be clear for the new Directive to be adopted sometime in the first half of 2010. The final implementation date for the measures set out in the directive, after transposition into UK law, will be 1 January 2013.
