Ethical guidelines for animal experiments

The Swiss Animal Welfare Act permits the use of animals for certain scientific purposes; at the same time, however, it requires that the dignity of animals be respected and their welfare protected. For researchers, reconciling these various societal interests can be challenging. The revised ethical guidelines are designed to clarify the margin of discretion left by the legislation and to encourage researchers to reflect on the handling of animals in their experiments.

A revised edition of the guidelines was published in june 2025. The ethical guidelines are primarily addressed to researchers and all other persons involved in research. In addition, for other animal research stakeholders, the guidelines provide information as to the considerations on which researchers’ decisions are based when dealing with laboratory animals.