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According to a 1999
EU Directive, zoo animals should be kept in
conditions appropriate to their needs. The Directive
also forsees that zoo be properly inspected and
licensed. Those not meeting the requirements of
the Directive should be closed.
In April 2009, Eurogroup For Animals published its updated Zoo Report, an evaluation of the implementation and enforcement of the EU's Zoo Directive.
The report found that many EU zoos have yet to fully implement European rules on the keeping of wild animals in zoos and national authorities are still failing to enforce legislation on zoo keeping.
The report was presented to the European Commission in April 2009.
In October 2009, the first step was taken in a legal procedure against Spain over the country’s infringement of the EU Zoo Directive. This case was taken up by the European Commission following the gathering of evidence by a number of Spanish animal welfare NGOs, co-ordinated by Eurogroup for Animals,
Eurogroup For Animals now calls on the next EU Environment Commissioner to conduct a formal evaluation of the Zoo Directive implementation that includes stakeholder participation.
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