Focus on the 3Rs: Replacement |
The final
edition of our focus letter in 2023 will focus on replacement of animal
experimentation. What impact has the Swedish 3Rs Center had since its
inauguration in 2017?
The 3Rs Center
has offered lots of support and activities during its time as a national
competence centre. In this focus letter, we also want to follow up on earlier
important milestones in promoting the transition to animal-free research, such
as the EU Directive from 2010 and different citizen initiatives in Europe since
then. A veteran within the field, Karin Gabrielson Morton from the Swedish Fund
for Research Without Animal Experiments and member of the Swedish National
Committee for the Protection of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes, shares a
retrospective and her reflections on the future.
| | | | | Adjustment of the Swedish 3Rs Center in 2024The Swedish
government has decided to remove the dedicated funding to the Swedish 3Rs
Center, but clearly states that the Center shall remain as a national
competence centre located at the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
As a
consequence, the Swedish 3Rs Center must adjust its operations from 2024 an on.
The Center will remain with a smaller office and established contact channels
such as e-mail and website.
The
National Committee for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes,
steering group of the Center, has decided that the Center will focus on its
primary target groups in 2024. These are defined by the Committee as: Swedish animal
welfare bodies, regional ethics committees on animal experiments, governmental
agencies and research funding bodies. The Center will direct actions to these
groups, mainly as meetings, educational support and newsletters.
Important
contact points that have been established during the Center’s first years will
be maintained as far as possible. | | | | | The EU goal is to replace
animal testing
| Animal
research in the European Union is regulated under Directive 2010/63/EU on the
protection of animals used for scientific purposes. The final aim of the
Directive is to replace all animal research with non-animal methods of
research. Part of the mission of the Swedish National Committee is to contribute
to the Union achieving this goal.
In 2021,
the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the European Commission
to develop plans and measures to accelerate the transition to animal-free
innovation in research, testing and education. The Commission's response states
that the Directive 2010/63/EU is fully sufficient to push for the replacement
of animal experiments from the legislative side and that a lot of work is
already underway within the EU.
In 2023,
the Commission stated that they will launch a new roadmap with a set of
legislative and non-legislative actions to further reduce animal testing, with
the aim to ultimately move to an animal-free regulatory system under chemicals
legislation and continue strongly supporting alternatives to animal testing. The
Commission is also proposing to initiate a series of actions to accelerate the
reduction of animal testing in research, education and training, including
exploring the possibility to coordinate the activities of the Member States and
national authorities in this field, exploratory workshops, and sustaining new
training initiatives for early career scientists. European
Parliament resolution, September 16 in 2021
European
Commission response, February 10 in 2022
Commission
acts to accelerate phasing out of animal testing in response to a European
Citizens' Initiative, July 27 in 2023 | | | | | A strategy to replace animal experiments
The
National Committee and the 3Rs Center are working to compile a strategy to replace animal experimentation. When finished, the document will guide the
Committee's own work with replacement, but also be used to inspire other
stakeholders.
Read the article about the Replace strategy | | | | | Validation of test methods
Method
validation is a process of determining how well a method performs for a given
purpose, to ensure that it is based on sound science and is useful from a
regulatory perspective. Read the article about validation of test methods | | | | | |
Collaboration with government agencies
|
In Sweden there are a number of government agencies that, to a varying degree, are involved in activities related to animals in research. The Swedish 3Rs Center runs a project to support governmental agencies in their work related to the 3Rs principle.
Read about our collaboration with other government agencies | | | | | Educational efforts
In addition to the work on developing a strategy to replace animal experimentation, the 3Rs Center organizes a number of activities such as seminars, workshops and webinars about replace.
Read about the 3Rs Center's educational activities | | | | | | Collaboration with research funding bodies | In 2020,
the 3Rs Center initiated a project to promote further implementation of the 3Rs
principle in funding or research where animal experiments are being used, through
collaboration with Swedish research funding bodies.
Since then,
annual meetings have been organised together with research funding bodies to
discuss solutions for how the replacement, reduction and refinement of animal
experimentation can be implemented further in research funding.
In
collaboration with the funding bodies, the 3Rs Center has produced a 3Rs policy
document and a standard text describing the 3Rs principle to be used by funding
bodies in their work.
A third
document, pointing out the importance of the 3Rs in research funding, is
currently under production. This document is a statement that funding bodies
will be invited to sign on to, to show their commitment to
promote the 3Rs in the research they fund.
| | | | | 3Rs Input to the
government's Research and Innovation proposition
| The
National Committee was invited to respond to a request from the government for
input on what the next proposition on research and innovation should include.
The response from the National Committee, submitted and published in October,
focuses on the 3Rs principle as a means to increase research quality.
It also
specifies the need for
- increased
funding for research on all 3 Rs
- increased
funding for validation
- increased
funding to allow for collaboration between stakeholders
- long-term
funding earmarked for the Swedish 3Rs Center.
Inspel om 3R till regeringens forsknings- och
innovationspolitik (in Swedish) (jordbruksverket.se) | | | | |
As a National Competence Centre, the 3Rs Center interacts with the 3Rs community and other centres globally. One of the dedicated tasks for our steering group, the National Committee, is to share best practices and collaborate with stakeholders and other national committees in Europe.
Read the entire article about the global 3Rs community | | | | | Meeting for Swedish animal techniciansThe annual meeting for Swedish animal technichans will be held as an online meeting, February the 1st. If you want to attend, please send us an email at: 3Rcenter@jordbruksverket.se | | | | | | | | | | |
