Research animal ethics committees
Before an animal experiment can start, the planned experiment must be approved by an animal ethics committee (Animal Welfare Act, ch. 7, § 9; Animal Welfare Ordinance ch. 7).
The principle is that the value of the experiment must outweigh the suffering that the animal may be subjected to, and no alternative method should be available.
The work of the animal ethics committees is regulated by the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s regulations and general advice on ethical review of animal experiments (SJVFS 2025:29, saknr L152).
Animal experiments are regulated by an ethics committee. The principle is that the value of the experiment should be greater than the suffering the animal may be exposed to, and there should be no alternative method. There are six regional ethics committees.
Each committee consists of 14 members. The chairman and the vice chairman are lawyers. Of the twelve other members one half are researchers or animal care takers, while the other half is made up of lay persons. Two of these come from animal welfare organizations.
Meeting dates 2025
- 16 December
- 18 December
Dates may be subject to change.
Time plan
An application to the Stockholm ethics committee shall be processed within 40 working days after a complete and correct application has been received by the committee. The committee may extend the period by another 15 days if the application is complex. If an application is received no later than five-six weeks before a given committee meeting, the application will likely be dealt with at that meeting. This also applies during the summer and at the end of the year.
The Stockholm regional animal ethics committee sends out an email to everyone who has submitted an application. The mail is usually sent within two weeks and contains general information and, when applicable, remarks specific to the application. An applicant who has not received such an email, even though three weeks have passed since the application was sent, shall control the application in the online services. There can be a problem due to a technical issue or the application may not have been completed.
Applications that should be processed with priority may be submitted later. The following is generally not sufficient grounds for priority:
- The application is just a supplementary application.
- The application is uncontroversial or simple.
- A prior authorization is about to expire.
Contact
stockholm@rdn.jordbruksverket.se
Address: Stockholms djurförsöksetiska kommittee, Stockholms tingsrätt, Box 8307, 104 20 Stockholm
Research groups solely located on KI Campus Flemingsberg should submit their applications for ethical evaluation to the ethics committee in Linköping.
Linköping ethics committee
Area: Södermanlands, Östergötlands, Jönköpings, Kronobergs, Kalmar, Örebro län och Gotlands län.
Contact: Linköpings tingsrätt, Box 365, 581 03 LINKÖPING Telephone: 013-25 10 00
Central animal research ethics committee
The Central animal research ethics committee (CDFN) is a reviewing body for applicants whose application for ethical approval has been restricted/conditional by the regional ethics committee. Read more at cdfn.se.
A review procedure is free of charge and does not mean that the ethical approval cannot be used in the meantime; the approval can be used but only with the conditions decided upon by the regional ethics committee.
The outcome is precedent for the regional ethics committees. In connection to a review procedure in CDFN, the regional ethics committee can reconsider its decision. If so, the case will not be precedent, and the decision is still made at the regional level.
The CDFN also evaluates approved applications retrospectively if an experiment is of considerable difficulty, of particular interest or means experiments with primates.
Retrospective evaluations can involve consultation with the Animal Welfare Body at KI. The project director is required to participate in an evaluation.