The Importance of the 3Rs for the Welfare of Animals Used in Scientific Experiments. Legal Bases, Their Ethical Premises, and Practical Tips

Abstract

The article presents the legal basis of the Ethical Commissions for Animal Experiments in Poland and in the European Union as well as the genesis and evolution of the ethical principles guiding them. In particular, it focuses on the implementation of the so-called 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement) in research practice and in the care of laboratory animals and animals participating in scientific experiments. Many institutions and organizations (the Supreme Audit Office, the European Commission, the Ethics Committee of Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and non-governmental organizations) indicate insufficient implementation of these principles in Poland. The article identifies main areas of these deficits and provides practical guidance for researchers. The text also diagnoses main problems and axiological disputes related to the activities of ethical committees responsible for guarding the welfare of experimental animals. Social perception of the issues of animal pain, emotionality, and awareness changes with the progress of biological knowledge, which affects the implementation of values in research practice. This process is mediated by ethics committees.