BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsdirektivet)

(1) Article 33 of Directive 2010/63/EU requires that animals used for scientific purposes are provided with accommodation, an environment and care which are appropriate to their health and well-being. Annex III to Directive 2010/63/EU lays down requirements for establishments and for the care and accommodation of those animals. 

(2) Article 6 of Directive 2010/63/EU requires that animals are killed with minimum pain, suffering and distress, by means of the appropriate species-specific killing methods provided for in Annex IV to that Directive. 

(3) At the time of the adoption of the Directive, insufficient scientific evidence was available on the appropriate housing and care requirements for certain species, including cephalopods, zebra fish and passerine birds, and on the appropriate killing methods for cephalopods. Therefore, no species-specific requirements were included in Annex III to Directive 2010/63/EU for those species or for the killing of cephalopods in Annex IV to that Directive. 

(4) Since 2010, new scientific knowledge has been gained on the welfare requirements of cephalopods, zebra fish and passerine birds kept in captivity, as well as for the killing of cephalopods in a manner causing least pain, suffering and distress, and therefore Annexes III and IV to Directive 2010/63/EU should be adapted accordingly. 

(5) Some of the new requirements identified for zebra fish and cephalopods that were not included in Annex III to Directive 2010/63/EU should be introduced for all aquatic species or for all animals. 

(6) The information submitted under Article 54(3) of Directive 2010/63/EU shows that several Member States consider hypothermic shock as an appropriate method of killing for zebra fish based on the current scientific evidence. To avoid unnecessary administrative burden arising from regular exemptions granted under Article 6(4)(a) of Directive 2010/63/EU, this method should be allowed for killing of zebra fish.

(7) Since the adoption of Directive 2010/63/EU, new scientific evidence has emerged on the inappropriateness of using inert gases (argon and nitrogen) to kill rodents, and therefore their use should no longer be allowed for the killing of rodents. (8) Directive 2010/63/EU should therefore be amended accordingly,