Animal directive becomes law

A new EU directive banning experiments that inflict severe pain on animals has been transposed into Irish law.

Health Minister James Reilly said the legislation would apply from the start of the 2013 and would “considerably strengthen the protection of animals still needed for research and safety testing”.

The regulations are titled the European Union (Protection of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes) Regulations 2012. They introduce significant changes, including higher standards of animal welfare, care, and accommodation, as well as a requirement to perform detailed project evaluations before projects using animals can be authorised.