Animal experiments Federal Council rejects the popular initiative for a ban on animal testing
A ban on animal experiments in Switzerland would have far-reaching consequences for research, especially in medicine. The Federal Council therefore rejects the new initiative to ban animal experiments, without a counter-proposal. It made this decision on Wednesday.
19.02.2025, 10:43
SDA
In addition to animal experiments, the animal experimentation ban initiative wants to ban the breeding of laboratory animals and the trade in animals for experiments. All animal experiments should be banned within seven years of a yes vote.
The petition is backed by the authors of the initiative to ban animal testing, which was rejected at the ballot box in February 2022. They have renounced two demands from that initiative: a ban on experiments on humans and a ban on the import of goods tested on animals.
According to its press release, the Federal Council fears that the initiative will have far-reaching consequences for key areas of research, both in medicine and the life sciences. Switzerland would also be less competitive and could lose touch with international research projects.
The Federal Council refers to the animal protection regulations in Switzerland and the 3R principle. The 3Rs aim to replace, reduce and refine animal experiments wherever possible, thereby reducing the number of laboratory animals and the stress they are subjected to.
According to the Federal Council, the number of laboratory animals has decreased. Whereas almost two million animals were used in 1983, in 2003 the figure was still around 600,000. Since then, the number has remained largely stable.
The Federal Council also points out that a ban could lead to research using animals being moved abroad, where the standards of protection are lower. The Department of Home Affairs has been instructed to draw up a dispatch on the popular initiative. Parliament can then decide on it.
