Advocates for humane animal research hope for better oversight

Lack of enforcement flagged, as Czech Republic claims rules are impossible to implement

Advocates for the humane use of animals in research say they hope EU member states will comply with legal inspection targets in future, after new data revealed shortcomings in several countries.

Kirk Leech, executive director of the European Animal Research Association, said EU rules—which countries finished adopting in 2015—“set a high bar for…levels of openness and transparency”, making underperformance in early years of implementation unsurprising.