Polish Ethical Society calls for stricter laboratory animal welfare laws

The Polish Ethical Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Etyczne) is calling for coordinated action to reduce the suffering of over 300,000 animals used annually in Poland for scientific and educational purposes. The society has submitted amendments to a proposed legislative update currently being prepared by the Ministry of Science.

The proposed changes aim to align Polish law with European Union requirements, introducing stricter regulations for laboratory animal breeding and making research grants dependent on ethical committee approval. However, the Polish Ethical Society argues that the draft does not fully implement EU directives, specifically regarding the mandatory use of alternative methods to avoid animal testing whenever possible.

The society also noted that the current draft lacks a requirement to select methods that cause the least amount of suffering. They expressed concern that some research groups may choose more invasive and painful procedures without sufficient justification, and that local ethical committees are not adequately demanding such justifications.