Revision of Appendix A
In 1998, the Parties to the Convention undertook a revision of Appendix A to the Convention, on the accommodation and care of animals. The Working Party completed the revision of the Appendix at its 8th meeting, from 22 to 24 September 2004, and submitted it to the Multilateral Consultation of the Parties for adoption.
The fourth Multilateral Consultation of Parties to the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes (ETS 123) held its meeting in Strasbourg on 15 June 2006.
During this meeting, the draft revised Appendix A of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes – Guidelines for accommodation and care of animals was unanimously adopted by the Parties to the Convention.
The revised Appendix A includes a General Section providing guidelines on accommodation, housing and care relevant to all animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. Supplementary guidance concerning commonly used species are presented in specific sections for dogs, cats, ferrets, rodents and rabbits, farm animals and minipigs, non-human primates, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles. Where no information is included in these specific sections the provisions of the General Section apply.
In turn, specific sections on farm animals, non-human primates, birds and fish contain some general considerations applicable to all species within the document and further species-specific provisions (for example, the section on farm animals contain some general considerations on farm animals and species-specific provisions on cattle, horses, sheep and goats, pigs and minipigs). Therefore, all these provisions should be kept into considerations at the same time when looking for recommendations on a specific matter.
Species-specific sections were prepared on the basis of proposals elaborated by Expert Groups. In addition to these proposals, the Expert Groups also submitted background information to support their proposals, based on scientific evidence and practical experiences. This background information was provided under the sole responsibility of the respective Expert groups and is also separately available. For some groups of species, namely amphibians, reptiles and fish, these explanatory documents also provide additional information on less commonly used species not referred to in the species-specific provisions.
Appendix A – guidelines for accommodation and care of animals (adopted version)
Background information on the draft proposal for species-specific provisions for rodents and rabbits presented by the Group of Experts
Background information on the draft proposal for species-specific provisions for cats presented by the Group of Experts
Background information on the draft proposal for species-specific provisions for dogs presented by the Group of Experts
Background information on the draft proposal for species-specific provisions for ferrets presented by the Group of Experts
Background information on the draft proposal for species-specific provisions for non-human primates presented by the Group of Experts
Background information on the draft proposal for species-specific provisions for birds presented by the Group of Experts
Background information on the draft proposal for species-specific provisions for amphibians presented by the Group of Experts
Background information on the draft proposal for species-specific provisions for reptiles presented by the Group of Experts
