EU Zoos Directive

In 1999, the EU Member States decided to boost the role of zoos and aquariums in nature conservation. They adopted the EU Zoos Directive as the common basis for all EU zoo legislation. They have committed to creating a system for zoo licensing and inspections in each EU country, based on eight common conservation objectives.

Discover on the infographics what the EU countries committed to, and in the fact sheets below practical examples for each objective.

Mandatory Measures

By adopting the EU Zoos Directive, European Member States pledged to ensure that every zoo and aquarium carries out these four mandatory measures:  

Optional Measures

By adopting the EU Zoos Directive, European Member States pledged to ensure that every zoo and aquarium carries out at least one of these four optional measures (in addition to the four mandatory ones):