1. How should I apply for a project licence to be granted by a spanish competent authority at the EBD?

Researchers must fill in the application forms following the instructions at www.ebd.csic.es/bioetica/impresos. Applications must be written in spanish and sent to bioetica@ebd.csic.es. For any further question, please contact the Coordination of Research Office. The whole process of project evaluation and licence granting takes ca. 100 days. The license is valid for a 5-year period.

2. What if my project has been previously licensed by a competent authority outside the spanish territory?

All research projects must apply for a licence granted by a spanish competent authority. If the project is to be carried out outside the spanish territory and it has been licensed by any EU Member State adhering to the Directive 2010/63/EU, simply inform the Ethical Committee and attach a copy of the license document. This may help speeding up the evaluation process.

3. What if I need to make some amendments to an already licensed project?

Any amendment that may have a negative impact upon animal welfare will require a new evaluation and licensing. Other changes in the conditions specified in the application will be simply communicated to the competent authority.

4. How can the competence-of-personnel requirement be fulfilled?

European researchers must show proof of competence to comply with EU Directive 2010/63, granted or validated by a Spanish competent authority.

5. Where can I find the competent authority that corresponds to my project?

The list of competent authorities in Spain can be accessed as "listado de puntos de contacto" at http://www.magrama.gob.es. The relevant competent authority is the one corresponding to the territory where the user is located (i.e. Andalucia in the case of EBD-CSIC). In cases where all or part of the project is to be performed (e.g., capturing animals) outside Andalusia, please contact the Coordination of Research Office.

6. What are the consequences of not complying with spanish law?

It is against the law (Ley 6/2013) to "begin or carry out procedures without a previous authorization by a competent authority" (6000-100000 € fine) or to "begin or carry out procedures under different conditions of those previously authorized by a competent authority (600-100000 € fine).