Division 9.2 Severity categories

Non-recovery – Animals, which have undergone a procedure that has been performed entirely under general anaesthesia and from which the animals have not recovered consciousness shall be reported as ‘Non-recovery’. This also includes the situation where animals have failed to recover consciousness from anaesthesia during the first step of a planned recovery procedure.

Mild (up to and including) – Animals, which have undergone a procedure as a result of which the animals have experienced short-term mild pain, suffering or distress shall be reported as ‘Mild’ This includes situations where there has been no significant impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animals.

This category shall also include animals used in an authorised project, but which have ultimately not been observed to have experienced a level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm equivalent to that caused by the introduction of a needle in accordance with good veterinary practice with the exception of animals required for the maintenance of colonies of genetically altered animals of established lines with an intended harmful phenotype and which have not exhibited pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm as a consequence of the harmful genotype.

Moderate – Animals, which have undergone a procedure as a result of which the animals have experienced short-term moderate pain, suffering or distress, or long-lasting mild pain, suffering or distress as well as procedures that cause moderate impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animals, shall be reported as ‘Moderate’.

Severe – Animals, which have undergone a procedure as a result of which the animals have experienced severe pain, suffering or distress, or long-lasting moderate pain, suffering or distress as well as procedures that have caused severe impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animals shall be reported as ‘Severe’.

If the ‘Severe’ classification is exceeded, whether pre-authorised or not, these animals and their use are to be reported as ‘Severe’. Commentary shall be added in the ‘Member State’ narrative in section C of this Annex. In such cases, the following shall be reported: species, numbers, whether prior exemption was authorised, details of the use and reasons why the ‘Severe’ classification was exceeded.