WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1874/97 by Gianni TAMINO to the Commission. Failure by Italy to comply with the directive on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes
Date: 1997-05-30
Institutions: European Parliament, TAMINO
Subjects: EC Directive, European Commission, Italy, animal experimentation, health legislation, infringement procedure (EU), national implementing measure, national law

C 45/116

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

10. 2. 98

(98/C 45/146)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1874/97

by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission

(30 May 1997)

Subject: Failure by Italy to comply with the directive on the protection of animals used for experimental and

other scientific purposes

With reference to the reply to my Written Question E-2760/96 of 21 October 1996 (1), will the Commission say
whether the meeting with the Italian authorities due to take place in April was held and what the outcome was?

If  the  meeting  was  not  held  or  if  the  results  were  unsatisfactory,  will  the  Commission  bring  infringement
proceedings against Italy as it threatened to do in the answers to Written Questions 2455/92 (2), 1747/93 (3) and
2760/96  referred  to  above,  bearing  in  mind  that  Italian  legislative  decree  No  116/1992,  in  which  Directive
86/609/EEC (4) was transposed, (cid:145)fail to comply with Article 17 of the directive(cid:146)?

(1)  OJ C 91, 20.3.1997, p. 29.
(2)  OJ C 141, 19.5.1993, p. 32.
(3)  OJ C 46, 14.2.1994, p. 34.
(4)  OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(8 July 1997)

Following  the  Commission  request  for  information  concerning  the  correct  implementation  of  Article  17  of
Directive  86/609/EEC  which  provides  for  regular  checking  of  the  registers  by  the  authorities,  the  Italian
authorities have pointed out that under national law, the veterinary service within the local health department is
required regularly to inspect the premises of those who rear and provide animals used for experimental purposes
or for other scientific purposes.

That inspection is carried out by the veterinary service in accordance with Article 24 of the veterinary policy
regulation that was approved by Decree No 320 of 8 February 1954, and by Circular No 18 of 5 May 1993 and
Circular No 8 of 22 April 1994.

In  addition  the  Italian  authorities  have  pointed  out  that  under  the  aegis  of  the  prevention  department,  the
guidelines concerning the reorganization of public veterinary health provide instructions that must be followed
by the regions. Those instructions concern the reorganization of the national health system › by Decrees No 502
of 30 December 1992 and No 517 of 7 December 1993 which, within each local health unit, provides for a (cid:145)C(cid:146)
unit which is responsible, in particular, for checking the well being and use of animals intended for experiments.

On  the  basis  of  that  information  the  Commission  feels  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  initiate  any  infringement
procedure against Italy.

(98/C 45/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1875/97

by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission

(30 May 1997)

Subject: Community laboratory (Decision 97/260/EC)

With reference to Decision 97/260/EC (1) of 2 April 1997 on the Community reference laboratory for bivalve
mollusc diseases, will the Commission say:

1.  whether experiments on animals will be scheduled or permitted for this purpose?

2. 

if  so,  whether  acceptance  of  projects  will  be  linked  to  compliance  with  the  50%  reduction  in  the  use  of
animals in experiments announced by the Commission in the fifth programme on the environment?

(1)  OJ L 104, 22.4.1997, p. 31.