The aims of the legislation are to protect animals which are used or breed to be used for experimental, scientific or educational purposes; to avoid that animals are wrongfully hurt; to avoid any useless duplication of the experimentation processes; and to minimise the number of animals used. The scope of application entails any vertebrate being, including those in the process of development excluding foetal and embryonic forms and the exercise of livestock farm and non-experimental veterinary science.
IN EUROPE
Ratification of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes, Strasbourg, 18 March 1986 – Official State Gazette (BOE), 25 October 1990.
Protocol of Amendment, of 7 July 1998, to the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Scientific Purposes.
Recommendation of the Commission, of 18 June 2007, on guidelines for the accommodation and care of animals used for experiments and other scientific purposes.
Directive 2010/63/EU, of 22 September 2010, on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.
IN SPAIN
Royal Decree 53/2013, of 1 February, which sets out the basic rules to protect animals used in experiments and for other scientific purposes, including teaching.
Law 32/2007, of 7 November, on the care of animals, with regard to their exploitation, transport, experimentation and slaughter.
Law 6/2013, of 11 June, modifying Law 32/2007, of 7 November, on the care of animals, with regard to their exploitation, transport, experimentation and slaughter.
Order ECC/566/2015, of 20 March, establishing the qualifications required of personnel who handle animals used, bred or supplied for experiments or for other scientific purposes, including teaching.
Other relevant regulations related to animal welfare
Royal Decree 1551/2011 on 31 October, which complements the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications by establishing five professional qualifications corresponding to the professional agrarian family, among which: a) Medical care and maintenance of animals used in research and scientific purposes and b) Development of experimental procedures with animals in research and with scientific purposes.
Royal Decree 983/2013 on 13 December, which establishes four certificates of professionalism of the professional agrarian family that are included in the National Repertory of professional certifications
REGULATIONS REGARDING TRAINING
New Ministerial order in training:
Order ECC/566/2015, on 20 March, which establishes the training requirements that must be complied by the personnel that handles animals used, bred or supplied for experimentation purposes and other scientific purposes, including teaching:
Check it here:
Presents different basic concepts:
1. New requirements for initial training to work with test animals. Furthermore it redefines the categories that from now will be referred as functions:
a) Animal care (similar to the previous A category, without including euthanasia)
b) Animal euthanasia (new, before included in the other categories)
c) Implementation of procedures (similar to the previous B category, without including euthanasia)
d) Design of projects and procedures (similar to the previous C category, without including euthanasia)
e) Assumption of the responsibility of the supervision in situ of the welfare and care of animals.
f) Assumption of the designated veterinarian functions
2. The need of conducting an initial training that consists of a regulated initial training and working under supervision. Training is addressed with training courses to the personnel user of test animals. The need of conducting a few hours of continuous training in order to keep the training active.
Function a):
20 hours in 8 years.
Function b):
25 hours in 8 years.
Function c):
45 hours in 8 years.
Function d):
40 hours in 8 years.
Function e):
90 hours in 8 years.
Function f): 90 hours in 8 years.
In the event of requesting the maintenance of different categories simultaneously, at the very least it is necessary to comply the requirements of the category that request the highest number of hours.
