On 15 June, State Secretary Sylvio Erkens (LVVN) received the report ‘Animal Testing in the Netherlands 2015–2024: Trends, developments and underlying factors’ from Nico van Meeteren, chair of the NCad. The report provides an insight into the dynamics of animal testing figures and highlights opportunities to work with TPI partners to promote more research using human material and data.
Secretary of State LVVN Sylvio Erkens (r) and chair NCad Nico van Meeteren (l)
Decline in fundamental and translational research
The number of animal experiments in the Netherlands has fallen by 20 per cent over the past 10 years, to 423,970 in 2024. This decline is part of a longer-term trend. The decrease is due to refinements in research methods, animal-free alternatives and technological innovation.
Continued demand for animal testing to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of substances
Most animal experiments (32 per cent of the total) are carried out to comply with legislation and regulations or for the routine production of biological material. European legislation and regulations stipulate that the safety, quality and efficacy of chemical substances, medicines and plant protection products must be established through research. In practice, this leads to a continuing demand for animal testing.
The figures in the report show a sharp rise in tests carried out for species conservation and environmental protection. The number rose from 22,631 to 100,645 per year in 2024. This is due to policy-driven demands arising from new European and national regulations, such as the Nature Restoration Regulation. These are animal tests designed to assess the state of nature and water quality, and to protect public health and livestock.
Valuable guidance for TPI’s policy
The report’s findings and recommendations provide valuable guidance for further reducing the number of animal experiments and accelerating the development of animal-free innovations. This is, and remains, a key objective of the TPI (Transition towards Animal-Free Innovation) policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature.
Read the report to find out about all the trends, developments and underlying factors (in Dutch)
Website Netherlands National Committee for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes