The 2020 statistical report on the uses of animals for experimentation and other scientific purposes has been published

The September 22 Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes establishes that all member states must collect and communicate to the European Commission statistical information on the use of animals in procedures, each year before November 10.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food has recently published data on the use of experimental animals in Spain during the year 2020.

The report has shown that the total use of animals has decreased in relation to previous years (-7% of 2019; -9% of 2018):

• 2018: 836,096 uses

• 2019: 817,742 uses

• 2020: 761,012 uses

The document does not only include the number of animals. There are other parameters such as the most used species, the mouse (56.6%); the severity of the procedures (53.44% mild); how many of the used animals are considered genetically modified (30.78%); the reuse of animals in procedures (98.39%); the origin of the animals (92.58% in EU registered centers) or the purpose of the usage of these animals (47.84% basic research).

More information:

Summary of the report, written by Angélica Horrillo (CIB Margarita Salas’ Animal Facility), in Spanish: read it here.

COSCE Report, in Spanish: read it here.

Complete information can be downloaded here (in Spanish).