Cephalopod research and EU Directive 2010/63/EU: requirements, impacts and ethical review

For the first time, European Union legislation on animal research and testing has extended its scope to include invertebrate species the Class Cephalopoda. EU Directive 2010/63/EU, which was due to be implemented in Member States 1 January 2013, covers all "live cephalopods" used in scientific procedures that are likely to cause the animals adverse effects such as "pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm".This paper examines practical implications of the new EU law for cephalopod research. It evolved from a meeting of European cephalopod researchers held in Naples in 2011 (EuroCeph), which in turn was stimulated by discussions within The Boyd Group (a UK forum on animal experiments). This paper:1. describes key requirements of Directive 2010/63/EU;2. explains the project evaluation process that all regulated scientific projects involving animals must undergo before they can be authorised within Member States;3. presents a series of hypothetical case studies, to illustrate how, in practice, the principles for project evaluation might be applied in cephalopod research and testing;4. highlights the need for widely agreed guidance specific to cephalopods, to assist regulators, establishments and researchers in implementing the new law; and5. concludes with a list of practical steps that researchers might take to ensure compliance with the Directive in the national legislation of all EU Member States