Status Of Zoo Animals At European Level

In the European Union Member States there are numerous regulations concerning the protection and welfare of animals, especially of the domesticated ones and of those used for scientific or other experimental purposes, and few of them relate to the situation of the wildlife in zoos. Considering that EU is one of the largest importers of wild animals in the world, the adoptation of a legal instrument to harmonise the European legislation in this area became imperative. In this respect, the Council of the EU adopted the Directive 1999/22/CE on the keeping of wild animals in zoos, its main objective being the conservation of biodiversity, thus highlighting the role of zoos in this domain. However, the provisions of the Directive have been transposed in the Member States legislations at various levels, due to the lack of a common understanding of the animal welfare concept at European level, most countries stipulating in their internal laws only the general provisions of the Directive, without offering sufficient criteria to ensure the efficient fulfillment of the stated purpose of this legal instrument.