Welfare of Animals in Scientific Procedures: Global Standards

Animal use in scientific research is governed by varying national frameworks globally. Understanding international standards and gaps helps advocates prioritize welfare improvement efforts.

Key Facts

The EU Directive 2010/63/EU is widely regarded as the most comprehensive laboratory animal welfare legislation globally.
The US Animal Welfare Act excludes rats, mice, and birds from federal protection despite these comprising over 90% of animals used.
China is the world's second largest user of laboratory animals with rapidly developing welfare regulations.
The International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS) promotes 3Rs globally.
Transparency reporting on animal use numbers is mandatory in the EU but voluntary or absent in many countries.

Welfare Considerations

The global regulatory landscape for laboratory animal welfare is highly uneven, creating opportunities for research to migrate toward lower-standard jurisdictions. The exclusion of rats and mice from US federal protection is the most glaring gap in a major research nation. China's rapidly growing research enterprise is developing welfare frameworks that will have enormous aggregate impact given the scale of animal use. International harmonization of welfare standards, linked to research funding requirements, is the most impactful lever for global improvement.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns to include rats, mice, and birds in the US Animal Welfare Act.
Advocate for mandatory 3Rs reporting in all research funding applications globally.
Follow ICLAS updates on global laboratory animal welfare standard development.
Support international scientific bodies promoting 3Rs methodologies.
Engage with your national research funding body on laboratory animal welfare priorities.