On November 11, 2024, the initiative "Yes to a future without animal testing" was submitted, calling for a complete ban on animal testing in Switzerland. The umbrella organization of Swiss universities, swissuniversities, and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) have warned that such a ban would seriously endanger research and innovation, depriving Switzerland of important scientific progress in the fields of health, nutrition, and the environment.
Regulation yes, total ban no
In a recently published news article, ETH Zurich commented on the initiative and the associated animal testing ban. The university emphasized its responsibility in conducting animal research and clearly opposed the proposed ban, arguing that it would jeopardize biomedical and ecological research.
Instead, ETH Zurich supports the 3Rs principle ("Replace, Reduce, Refine"), which led to a 7.6% reduction in the number of laboratory animals used in 2023. The university also pointed to the strict legal regulations in Switzerland: Animal experiments must not only be scientifically justified before a research project begins but must also be properly documented throughout the study.
New center of excellence aims to minimize the use of laboratory animals
ETH Zurich is further promoting animal welfare through its new initiative, the "ETH 3R Hub", which supports the development of low-stress and refined methods in animal research. The goal is to continuously improve animal welfare standards and minimize both the number and burden of animals used in scientific studies.
However, a complete ban on animal testing is seen as problematic—especially in fields like neuroscience, cancer research, and certain areas of agricultural science, where complex scientific questions often require realistic biological models in order to produce meaningful results.
Source
ETH-Beitrag (12. November 2024)
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