Key facts
In Switzerland, more than 700,000 animals are used in experiments each year. The Animal Protection Act sets limits on animal experiments: Burdensome animal experiments must be limited to what is indispensable; as part of the official approval procedure, authorities ascertain whether the requirements set out by law are met. Animal experiments are (co-)financed by federal funds via various channels, in particular by research and infrastructure contributions to universities, funds provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), and the EU research programmes.