Blog | European Animal Research Association

News from EARA

This page contains all the news outputs from EARA, including press releases and videos, EARA policy and news briefings, plus opinion pieces and significant media articles.

Other pages in this section explain more about EARA on social media and practical information for journalists.

Transparency Agreement on animal research in Portugal

Bob Tolliday

Jan 8, 2019
2 min

Transparency Agreement on animal research in Portugal

The Transparency Agreement on Animal Research in Portugal (Acordo de Transparência sobre Investigação Animal em Portugal) is a collaborative project by EARA and the Portuguese Society of Sciences in Laboratory Animals (SPCAL). This is an initiative inspired by the Transparency Agreement in Spain, launched at 2016 where EARA co-operated with the Federation of Spanish Scientific Societies (COSCE) and by the UK Concordat on Openness on Animal Research. The Portuguese Agreement,

The wild card of animal rights’ groups: Freedom of Information requests

Bob Tolliday

Jan 8, 2019
4 min

The wild card of animal rights’ groups: Freedom of Information requests

EARA and Understanding Animal Research, one of our UK partners, promote the importance of universities and other research institutions across Europe of being clear and open about their research. To pre-empt the regular Freedom of Information (FOI) requests about the numbers of animals used, some institutions have taken to pro-actively publishing these on their website (often including a breakdown by species). The other side of the story is activity groups knowing they can gai

Transparency Agreement on Animal Research launched in Spain

Bob Tolliday

Jan 8, 2019
2 min

Transparency Agreement on Animal Research launched in Spain

A Transparency Agreement on Animal Research in Spain was launched yesterday in Madrid. The Acuerdo de transparencia sobre el uso de animales en experimentación científica en España (lit. ‘Transparency agreement on the use of animals in scientific experimentation in Spain’), has been developed by Spain’s Confederation of Scientific Societies (COSCE) in collaboration with EARA. The Spanish document has been developed based on the UK Concordat on Openness on Animal Research. Sim

FENS Forum to discuss openness and communications on animal research

Bob Tolliday

Jan 8, 2019
2 min

FENS Forum to discuss openness and communications on animal research

Details have been released on the session on animal research communications that will take place at this year’s FENS Forum of Neuroscience, in Berlin, 7-11 July. Featuring EARA Executive Director, Kirk Leech, the special interest event entitled Communicating Animal Research: Challenges and Opportunities, looks at how neuroscientists can counter opposition to their research work using animals from activist groups. The biomedical research sector has often been hesitant and defe

Survey reveals great progress by biomedical sector in Spain to be more open about animal research

Bob Tolliday

Nov 5, 2018
3 min

Survey reveals great progress by biomedical sector in Spain to be more open about animal research

The first report on the Spanish biomedical sector’s commitment to be more transparent about its research using animals, published today, has highlighted the great progress being made to improve openness. Launched in 2016, the Transparency Agreement on Animal Research in Spain, (‘Acuerdo de transparencia sobre el uso de animales en experimentación científica en España’) now has more than 120 public and private research centres, universities and scientific societies as signator

Agreement on transparency in animal research launched in Portugal

Bob Tolliday

Jun 21, 2018
2 min

Agreement on transparency in animal research launched in Portugal

The public announcement of the Transparency Agreement on Animal Research in Portugal will take place today (21 June 2018). This initiative presented by the scientist Nuno Sousa has been proposed by the European Animal Research Association (EARA) and supported by the Portuguese Society of Sciences in Laboratory Animals (SPCAL) and is supported by 16 Portuguese institutions, from across the country, that use animals in biomedical and basic research. The aim of the Transparency

Belgian research organisations unite in support of animal research

Bob Tolliday

Aug 15, 2016
2 min

Belgian research organisations unite in support of animal research

We are proud to announce the release today of a Statement in support of animal research and a transparent approach in Belgium to mark World Day for Laboratory Animals (April 24th). Signed by 24 research organisations, the statement sees public and private research institutions from all three regions in Belgium unite in a pledge for openness on animal research. In the statement, the signatories explain the important role of animals in research. They commit to work together for

Two Reasons to Engage in a Pan European Network of Private and Publicly Funded Animal-Research Organ

Bob Tolliday

Oct 5, 2015
8 min

Two Reasons to Engage in a Pan European Network of Private and Publicly Funded Animal-Research Organ

Emma M. Sanchez, Press and Communications Officer, the European Animal Research Association (EARA). 23rd September 2015 Executive Summary Lack of communications from research organisations encourages misconceptions about science and the role of animals in research that fuel animal rights groups’ campaigns such as the recent European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Stop Vivisection’. Animal rights groups are globally coordinated and current tactics focus on halting the supply chain, for

The Challenging Road towards a Unified Animal Research Network in Europe

Bob Tolliday

Jun 16, 2015
1 min

The Challenging Road towards a Unified Animal Research Network in Europe

Animal models are key in biomedical research as a proof of concept to study complex processes in a physiological context. Despite the small yet crucial role animals play in fundamental and applied research, the value of animal research is recurrently undermined. Lack of openness and transparency encourages misconceptions, which can have a dramatic negative impact on science and medicine. Research centres should use all available resources to ensure that relevant details about