A couple of weeks ago, I attended the inaugural conference hosted by the European Animal Research Association (EARA) in Berlin. The Conference theme was ‘Shaping the future of animal research communication’.

While EARA advocates for the “continued need for, and benefits of, humane use of animals,” a mission that directly opposes our own goal to Replace Animal Research, our presence at the Conference was a real opportunity to raise awareness of our work and advocate for accelerating the shift to non-animal science.

A stepping stone to change: Transparency

The conference focused heavily on scientific communication and the push for transparency around animal research—a concept first pioneered by Understanding Animal Research in the UK with the introduction of the Concordat on Openness in animal research.

Why do we care about transparency?

• Understanding the Problem: Animal research won’t end overnight. To achieve a comprehensive phase-out, we must first understand where and why animals are used today, and what the real barriers to replacement are. 
• A Stepping Stone: While openness was partly started to combat activism around animal research, we see it as a valuable first step toward a phase-out of animal use and a phase-in of non-animal alternatives. 

I was particularly interested in the work being done by other countries to introduce openness initiatives and the steps being taken by the European Commission to increase transparency. 

Our Tool for Change: The Replacement Checklist 

The law requires researchers to explore non-animal alternatives (Replacement) before using animals. However, this is often done poorly—there’s a significant gap between the legal requirement and robust practice. 

That’s where we intervene. I was at the conference to showcase our Replacement Checklist in a flash talk. 

This tool is essential because it: 

1. Ensures Compliance: It helps researchers rigorously explore Replacement opportunities, making animal use truly the last resort. 
2. Boosts Transparency: It acts as a transparency tool, requiring researchers to document and share their search for alternatives as part of the funding or licensing process. 

After my talk, I had conversations with team members from the French Centre for the 3Rs and the United States Animal Research Openness Initiative who were both keen to share the Checklist with their members and followers. Although the Checklist was written in the context of UK regulatory guidance, it applies to ethical frameworks across the world that oversee animal use in research. 

We keep promoting the Checklist to get it into the hands of the animal research community. Only by strengthening the exploration of replacement—and making that exploration transparent—can we move closer to a world without animal testing.  

You can read more about our work to increase transparency in our Policy Approach.