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Swedish law requires ethical review of all animal experiments
- Facts about the Ethical Committees on Animal Experiments
Facts about the Ethical Committees on Animal Research
Seven Ethical Committees on Animal Experiments process approximately 1700 applications annually. Applications must be submitted for any research on vertebrates.
By law, prior to starting a research project, any use of vertebrates for scientific purposes must undergo an ethical evaluation for laboratory animals. Exceptions are made for some feeding experiments and bird banding. An Ethical Committee on Animal Experiments conducts the evaluations.
For each case evaluated, the committees render a decision based on:
Swedenhas seven Ethical Committees on Animal Experiments, each of which is responsible for its respective region: Umeå, Göteborg, Linköping, Lund/Malmö, Stockholm South, Stockholm North, and Uppsala.
The committees evaluate approximately 1600 to 1800 cases annually (1659 cases in 2006).
389 (23%)
24 (1.4%)
Ethical Committees on Animal Experiments since 1979
For each case evaluated, the committees render a decision based on:
- the importance of the research
- the suffering that the animal is expected to endure during the research.
The law establishing ethical evaluation of animal research became effective in 1979 and was revised in 1989 and 1998.
Committees for different regions
Swedenhas seven Ethical Committees on Animal Experiments, each of which is responsible for its respective region: Umeå, Göteborg, Linköping, Lund/Malmö, Stockholm South, Stockholm North, and Uppsala.
The Ethical Committee on Animal Experiments inUppsalahas a special assignment — to evaluate all animal research in veterinary medicine, regardless of where in Sweden the research takes place. The Ethical Committee on Animal Experiments in Umeå also has a special assignment — to evaluate all animal research conducted by the military.
Committee composition
- two attorneys (Chair and Vice Chair)
- scientists and animal technicians
- four laymen representing political parties
- two laymen representing animal welfare organisations.
Each committee member has a personal proxy.
Number of cases
The committees evaluate approximately 1600 to 1800 cases annually (1659 cases in 2006).
Number of cases approved after modification in 2006
389 (23%)
Number rejected in 2006
24 (1.4%)
Responsible for content: Mats Ulfendahl, Secretary General of Medicine and health, Swedish Research Council.
Editor: Peter Tillhammar, Swedish Research Council. Contact: Send email to the editorial staff.
Editor: Peter Tillhammar, Swedish Research Council. Contact: Send email to the editorial staff.
