 In November 2008, the European Commission published its proposal for a new Directive on animal testing, replacing Directive 86/609/EEC.It included a requirement for prior authorisation for all animal experiments, the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, refinement) as a cornerstone of the legislation with particular emphasis on replacement, ethical reviews, a licensing system for suppliers, establishments and individuals using animals, an upper limit of pain, uniform implementation of Council of Europe standards of housing, the extension of the scope of the Directive to some invertebrate species and foetal animals, and other measures.However, there were also shortcomings.