Ethical committees

Animal experiments are regulated by an ethical committee. The principle is that the value of the experiment should be greater than the suffering the animal may be exposed to, and there should be no alternative method. There are six regional ethical committees.

Each committee consists of 14 members. The chairman and the vice chairman are lawyers. Of the twelve other members one half are researchers or animal care takers, while the other half is made up of lay persons. Two of these come from animal welfare organizations.

Meeting dates

Spring/Summer 2024

  • January 11
  • January 25
  • February 8
  • February 29
  • March 14
  • March 27
  • April 11
  • April 25
  • May 16
  • May 30
  • June 13
  • June 27
  • July 18
  • August 15

Dates may be subject to change.

Time plan

An application to the Stockholm ethical committee shall be processed within 40 working days after a complete and correct application has been received by the committee. The committee may extend the period by another 15 days if the application is complex. If an application is received no later than five-six weeks before a given committee meeting, the application will likely be dealt with at that meeting. This also applies during the summer and at year-end.

The Stockholm ethical committee sends out an email to everyone who has submitted an application. The mail is usually sent within two weeks and contains general information and, when applicable, remarks specific to the application. An applicant who has not received such an e-mail, even though three weeks have passed since the application was sent, shall control the application in the online services. There can be a problem due to a technical issue or the application may not have been completed.

Applications that should be processed with priority may be submitted later. The following is generally not sufficient grounds for priority:

  • The application is just a supplementary application.
  • The application is uncontroversial or simple.
  • A prior authorization is about to expire.

Contact

stockholm@rdn.jordbruksverket.se

Adress: Stockholm ethical committee, Stockholms tingsrätt, Box 8307, 104 20 Stockholm

Research groups solely located on KI Campus Flemingsberg should submit their applications for ethical evaluation to the ethical committee in Linköping.

Linköping ethical committee

Area: Södermanlands, Östergötlands, Jönköpings, Kronobergs, Kalmar, Örebro län och Gotlands län.

Contact: Linköpings tingsrätt, Box 365, 581 03 LINKÖPING Telephone: 013-25 10 00

Central ethical committee

The Central ethical committee (CDFN) is a reviewing body for applicants whose application for ethical approval has been restricted/conditional by the regional ethical committee. Read more at cdfn.se.

A review procedure is free of charge and does not mean that the ethical permit cannot be used in the meantime; the permit can be used but only with the conditions decided upon by the regional ethical committee.

The outcome is precedent for the regional boards. In connection to a review procedure in CDFN, the regional board can reconsider its decision. If so, the case will not be precedent, and the decision is still made at the regional level.

The CDFN also evaluates approved applications retrospectively if an experiment is of considerable difficulty, of particular interest or means experiments with primates.

Retrospective evaluations can involve consultation with theAnimal Welfare Body at KI. The project director is required to participate in an evaluation.

Emma Khan
04-01-2024