Image courtesy NIH
Apart from welfare issues the commission want to know also if current legislation is hampering European competitiveness.
Comments are also sought on the preliminary findings of an impact assessment carried out by the Commission on the options for revising current legislation. It is planned to propose new legislation in 2007.
The current law, set out under Directive 86/609/EEC was adopted in 1986, and has not been changed significantly since. In its current form the directive is open to interpretation, and does not mirror scientific advances made over the past two decades. For example, the use of transgenic animals, xenotransplants from one species to another, and cloning are not covered, and there are no specific regulations on the use of non human primates in neuroscience research.
The overall aim, says the Commission, is to achieve harmonised and controlled use of animals across all 25 member states, balancing animal welfare with the needs of research.
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