Low rejection rate for animal experiments in Germany despite legal reform_suppl

This study analyses the approval practice for animal experimentation applications subject to approval under § 8 of the Animal Welfare Act in Germany. Between 2022 and 2024, 6,723 applications were submitted nationwide, of which 56 were rejected. This results in an average rejection rate of 0.83%. Compared to an earlier survey from 2015–2017 (0.75%), there has been only a marginal increase. Thus, over 99% of all animal experimentation applications continue to be approved. The 2021 amendment to the Animal Welfare Act, which strengthened the project evaluation of competent authorities, has had no measurable impact on approval practices so far.