Animal research

In Sweden, animal experiments can only be used when no alternative methods are available. All animal experiments must also be approved by an ethical committee before the experiments can be performed.

The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) has, jointly with eight Swedish universities compiled information about animal experiments on the website djurförsök.info (in Swedish). There, you can learn about animal experiments, why they are used, alternative methods to animal experiments, as well as rules and regulations.

Djurförsök.info (in Swedish)

Legislation, permits, policy and responsibilities

Animal research is strictly regulated and is subject to both Swedish and European Union (EU) legislation. Directive 2010/63/EU is the EU legislation “on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes”.

In the Swedish Animal Welfare Act there are basic rules for how animals should be cared for (it is applicable to all animal groups, including invertebrates). More details can be found in the Animal Welfare Ordinance and in The Swedish Board of Agriculture’s regulations and general advice on laboratory animals (L150).

You can find the Swedish legislation and regulations about animals on the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s website.

The Swedish Board of Agriculture
English version of “The Swedish board of agriculture’s regulations and general advice on laboratory animals (L150)” can be found on the Documents page:
Documents

Stockholm University’s research integrity and ethics policy

While the university has the overall responsibility, everyone at Stockholm University has an individual responsibility to adhere to good research practices. Some roles and functions entail a special responsibility. Stockholm University’s research integrity and ethics policy describes the foundations for how good research practice is to be protected and promoted, as well as the distribution of responsibilities within the organization.

Forskningsetisk policy (in Swedish)
Ansvar för god forskningssed vid Stockholms universitet (in Swedish)

Studies with animals abroad

Stockholm University’s research ethics policy states that:

If research is done outside Sweden, it is necessary to ensure that both Swedish and foreign regulations and guidelines are followed to the extent that they are applicable. In case foreign regulations or ethical guidelines allow activities, which are not permitted according to Swedish regulations and guidelines, an adequate level of protection for humans and animals must still be ensured, primarily through applying the Swedish standard also abroad.

All research including animals is subject to the 3R-principles (Replace, Reduce, Refine). This means replacing animal experiments with methods not using animals when this still permits answering the research question (Replace), using as few animals a possible to answer the research question (Reduce), and continually improving the conditions for animal welfare as well as designing experiments so as to inflict as little distress as possible (Refine).

Responsibilities

There are many different responsibilities within an animal research establishment that need to be carried out. When you conduct animal research at Stockholm University, it is obligatory for you to be aware of your responsibilities, especially if you are a principal investigator.

Documents

Non-compliance from legislation and permits

If a deviation happens, contact your principal investigator at once. You can also contact the animal welfare officer for the establishment or the veterinarian. Email addresses can be found under “organization for animal research at Stockholm University”. To contact the veterinarian (and the license holder and research officer), please email the license permit office.

Animal research at Stockholm University

Animal research at Stockholm University is organized in several different departments in which animal welfare officers (“föreståndare” in Swedish) are responsible for managing any research involving live animals.

There are several research animal facilities at Stockholm University and it is possible to do research on many different species including wild animals. If you are interested in doing animal research at any of these departments or facilities, please contact the respective “föreståndare”.

Mandatory education and training

According to the legislation, anyone working with research animals, be they principal investigators, researchers, students or technicians, must have the appropriate education.

Current webinars and seminars are published in the staff calendar.

Staff calendar

Internal rules

In addition to the Swedish legislation, SU also has some internal rules and guidelines that apply to anyone working with research animals at SU, or who is affiliated with SU. You will find these on the Documents page:

Documents

The animal welfare body (AWB)

Any organization that has an establishment license, must set up an Animal Welfare Body (AWB). The tasks for the AWB can be found in L150, Chapter 5.

The SU AWB consists of:

• the license permit holder
• the veterinarian
• all animal welfare officers
• one scientist and
• one animal technician.

The members work at MBW, DEEP, Zoology, Baltic Sea Center and the Swedish Museum of Natural History.

Documents

For those of you who work with animal research at SU, we have collected documents that you need in your work on this page:

License permit office: Documents

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