[The legal regulations of the European Community on animal welfare in the field of agriculture and research].

The European Community has regulated the protection of animals in agriculture and research by means of 9 Directives and one Decision. The agricultural Regulations concern the protection of slaughter animals, the protection of animals during transport and the protection of animals kept for farming purposes as they also cover the protection of laying hens in battery cages and minimum standards for the protection of calves and pigs in intensive farming systems. The protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes is covered by a Directive that approximates the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States. The legal texts are presented and where necessary commented on. The Directive on experimental animals is compared with the respective passages of the German law on animal protection.