1.Member States shall ensure that animals are killed with minimum pain, suffering and distress.
2.Member States shall ensure that animals are killed in the establishment of a breeder, supplier or user, by a competent person.
However, in the case of a field study an animal may be killed by a competent person outside of an establishment.
3.In relation to the animals covered by Annex IV, the appropriate method of killing as set out in that Annex shall be used.
4.Competent authorities may grant exemptions from the requirement in paragraph 3:
(a)to allow the use of another method provided that, on the basis of scientific evidence, the method is considered to be at least as humane; or
(b)when, on the basis of scientific justification, the purpose of the procedure cannot be achieved by the use of a method of killing set out in Annex IV.
5.Paragraphs 2 and 3 shall not apply where an animal has to be killed in emergency circumstances for animal-welfare, public-health, public-security, animal-health or environmental reasons.