Lousky T. The Israeli Animal Experimentation Law: Insights from 15 years of Legal Campaigning. Poster session presented at: Calling on Science. 7th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences; 2009 Aug 30 - Sept 3; Rome, Italy


Abstract

The Israeli Animal Experimentation Law (IAEL) was legislated in 1994, based substantially on the US Animal Welfare Act and the European Commission Directive 86/609. The IAEL includes the 3Rs principle, and defines the process by which animal use in research, testing, the production of biologicals, and education and training is regulated. This regulatory process includes the National Animal Experiments Council (NAEC), which supervises over 50 Internal Ethics Committees (IEC) in various academic and industrial institutes. The NAEC is also responsible for developing detailed regulations and for accepting and authorising alternatives. Since it has been enacted, the IAEL has been frequently criticised by animal protection organisations. Claims have been made that the NAEC and the IECs are inherently biased, that alternatives are not given due consideration, and that animal experiments are almost automatically authorised. Several lawsuits and appeals to the Israeli Supreme Court have been filed. This work discusses the IAEL, the criticism against it, and some of the legal campaigns initiated since its enactment.



Author's contacts: tlousky@gmail.com

Author's keywords: animal experiments, Israel, law, legal campaigning, regulation