About us
The Swedish 3Rs Center is an assembling arena for knowledge and progress when it comes to replace, reduce and refine animal experiments in Sweden. Our committee is the Swedish National Committee for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes.
Swedish 3Rs Center
We are aiming for better animal welfare and fewer animals in experiments. Our activities will contribute to the Swedish 3Rs work progressing and Swedish research being better.
The Swedish 3Rs Center shall
- collect, compile and actively disseminate information on the 3Rs
- provide advice and recommendations on the 3Rs
- support government agencies in their strategic work with the 3Rs
- promote collaborative use of organs and tissues
- develop, assess and share best practices regarding animals used for scientific purposes.
The Swedish 3Rs Center's office is located at the Swedish Board of Agriculture in Jönköping.
Formation of the Swedish 3Rs Center
In 2014 the Swedish parliament decided to establish a national competence center for 3Rs questions in Sweden and issued the Swedish Board of Agriculture to form a 3Rs Center. The Swedish 3Rs Center was inaugurated in November 2017.
The National Committee for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes
Each member state within the EU shall establish a national committee for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. This is a requirement in Directive 2010/63/EU. The first Swedish National Committee was established in 2013.
The National Committee shall
- advise animal welfare bodies and government agencies on issues relating to the acquisition, breeding, housing, care, ethic reviews and use of animals in experiments
- supporting animal welfare bodies in exchanging information on each other’s work
- share best practices and collaborate with stakeholders and other national committees in Europe
- act as a steering group for the Swedish 3Rs Center.
The Committee task to act as a steering group for the Swedish 3Rs Center means that they prioritize our work. The Committee decide which recommendations and guidelines the Center will produce.
Committee members
The national committee is composed of one chairman, one vice chairman, ten committee members and four alternate members. The committee members come from the academic sector, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. They have competences and experiences from animal protection, veterinary medicine and different research areas with and without the use of animals.
The chairman of the Committee is representing the Swedish Board of Agriculture. The recent committee was installed in 2023 for two years.
The following organisations are represented in the National Committee
- Swedish Board of Agriculture (chair)
- National Veterinary Institute
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Karolinska Institutet
- Linköping University
- Stockholm University
- University of Gothenburg
- Uppsala University
- AstraZeneca
- Key2Compliance
- Forska Utan Djurförsök (Swedish Fund for Research Without Animal Experiments)
- Djurskyddet Sverige (Animal Welfare Sweden)
Group of Experts
The National Committee has installed a Group of Experts to broaden the Committee with additional expertise. The group functions as a working group assisting the Committee receiving tasks from the Committee or the 3Rs Center. They can also propose projects directly to the Committee for decision. The Group of Experts consists of one chairman and seven members with expertise within ethics, ethology, refinement and replacement.
The National Committee's Annual report
The National Committee and the Swedish 3Rs Center produce an annual report to describe our work.
Regulations (in Swedish)
Söker efter grundforeskrifter:
2017:44
Contact us
You can contact us at the Swedish 3Rs Center if you want to know more about the Center or the National Committee.