Zoos and conservation – more needs to be done, October 2002

The 'Zoos Directive' which entered into force on 9 April 1999 (Council Directive1999/22/EC relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos) required Member States to implement national legislation by 9 April 2002. On 28 October 2002 the European Commission announced that it had 'formally requested' 10 EU Member States which had missed the deadline to now implement the Directive. The 10 are: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The 1999 Directive (which, ironically, was a UK initiative) was intended to give zoos a stronger role in conservation by protecting wild animals and conserving biodiversity. It requires zoos to be licensed and inspected by the competent authorities of the Member States; zoos which fail to meet the requirements of the Directive can be closed.

The Directive requires that all zoos in the EU must ensure that they:

• accommodate animals under conditions which aim to satisfy the biological and conservation requirements of the individual species, i.e. by providing surroundings which aim to satisfy the behavioural needs of the different species, and maintaining a high standard of animal husbandry with a developed programme of preventive and curative veterinary care and nutrition;
• participate in research and exchange of information on the conservation of species (reproduction in captivity, repopulation, reintroduction of species to the wild).
• promote public education and awareness in relation to the conservation of biodiversity, particularly by providing information about the species exhibited and their natural habitats;
• prevent animals from escaping

The European Commissioner responsible for environmental affairs, Margot Wallström, said: 'I urge Member States to quickly ensure that their national legislation provides an adequate framework for managing zoos to improve the conservation interest of the animals in their care. The EU standards of quality conservation require vigilance and responsibility from the individual Member States.'

The Commission's action has taken the form of 'reasoned opinions' under Article 226 of the EC Treaty. Any Member State failing to comply with the request within a two-month period can then be taken to the European Court of Justice.

Links:

European Commission
	Council Directive1999/22/EC relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos
	28.10.02: Conservation in Zoos: Commission requests ten Member States to improve standards [IP/02/1573]

Eric Davies
KnowEurope Researcher
Compiled: Wednesday, 30 October 2002

On 28 October 2002 the European Commission announced that 10 EU Member States had still failed to implement the 'Zoos Directive' which entered into force on 9 April 1999.