Research involving animal experiments
Application for approval of animal experiments
All animal experiments carried out in Denmark, regulated under the law, require approval from the Animal Experiment Inspectorate, a division of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. Any application for the approval of animal experiments must be submitted via the Animal Experiment Inspectorate online application system.
Applications are evaluated by the Council for Animal Experiments. Each application must provide comprehensive details enabling the council to balance the welfare of the animals against the potential benefits of the experiments.
An application should contain descriptions of the following:
- The objective of the experiment
- How the 3R principles are followed
- The benefits of the experiment
- The strain of the experiment on the animal
- Humane endpoints
- Any relevant pain alleviation treatment
- Experimental procedure
- Monitoring of the animals
On the Animal Experiments Inspectorate website, previously approved applications can be viewed, providing insight into the required information.
Your application to the Danish Animal Experiments Inspectorate should include authorization to obtain animals and documentation certifying the qualifications of involved staff. Your project may operate under existing permissions or require new authorizations depending on circumstances.
Contacting your lab before starting your project is necessary to confirm that the lab possesses the necessary resources (e.g., equipment) and approvals tailored to your research needs.
Responsibility and requirements for approval holders
An approval for animal experiments can be issued to a legal person, who must fulfill several requirements, which is further detailed on the website of the Danish Animal Experiments Inspectorate. Before carrying out any procedures, individuals conducting animal experiments must undergo appropriate training. In the EU, this training is certified by the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA), with courses available at several accredited Danish universities.
In Denmark, the use of animals for research and educational purposes is governed by the law on experimental animals and the EU directive on the utilization of animals in research (EU2010/63).
The EU directive requires that departments conducting animal experiments establish local animal welfare bodies, focusing on advising on animal welfare matters and assisting in implementing initiatives, if any, to enhance animal welfare.
At DTU, departments involved in animal research must ensure lab facilities are authorized and personnel adequately trained in compliance with national and European legislation.
These facilities are subject to inspections by the Danish Animal Experiments Inspectorate.
In addition to obtaining approval for animal experiments, all researchers conducting research experiments involving animals must adhere to DTU’s Animal Welfare Policy. The policy outlines DTU's general stance as a research institution and the efforts made to ensure animal welfare.
Scope of the law on animal experiments
Under the law on experimental animals, animals comprise live non-human vertebrates, self-sustaining larval forms thereof, and cephalopods. Mammalian fetuses in the third trimester are also included under the law.
The EU directive and the Danish law on experimental animals regulate the use of animals in research or educational settings where experimental procedures may cause pain, suffering, distress, or lasting harm equivalent to or greater than that caused by a needle prick. Breeding animals for research also falls under the law on experimental animals.
Contact
Should any questions arise in relation to the planning of animal experiments or obtaining approval for such experiments, you should contact your local animal welfare body, the Animal Experiment Inspectorate, or DTU’s Research Office: researchethics@dtu.dk.