Austrian science academy opposes animal research law revision

Austria’s academy of science ÖAW has criticised a government proposal to revise the country’s animal protection laws, saying that the revisions could make research more difficult and hamper intellectual property protection.

The proposed law would require researchers to provide detailed information about the kind of experiments they intend to do and the expected results available when applying for funding. The ÖAW said this would be impossible, as it would reveal too much information about ongoing research, thus impacting the country’s competitiveness and intellectual property.