Reacción a "Spanish centres make progress in transparency in animal experimentation, according to COSCE report"

Most of the research carried out in Spain is funded through national or international public calls for proposals. Transparency in the methodology used should be an integral part of our projects, both in terms of justifying the objective of our research, as well as in the accountability and presentation of results, especially when we use other living beings, animals, as experimental models. However, in the past, transparency was not valued and passive or active secrecy favoured possible malpractice and fuelled misunderstandings and mistrust in society. This is why this COSCE report, produced by the Confederation of Spanish Scientific Societies, is so important, as it presents the annual actions promoted within the Transparency Agreement, demonstrating how the member institutions promote the exchange of knowledge with society, explaining how research is carried out on animals, why it is still necessary to experiment with animal models and what alternative models can be developed.

It is a report that is easy to read, that provides the name of all the public and private institutions involved, that reflects the number of animals and species used each year in Spain, as well as all those actions aimed at increasing the social perception of biomedical and biotechnological research.

I believe that this transparency agreement was absolutely necessary. Anyone interested can have open access to data and actions, building bridges of understanding and respect between researchers and the general public. That is why, although there are already 168 Spanish institutions, universities and research centres adhering to this Agreement, it is so relevant and so advisable that its number increases every year, until it includes all research groups using experimental animals and institutions with an interest in biomedical research. It is the best way to demonstrate to society when and why research is carried out on animal models, and in which cases alternative methods can or will be developed that are equally informative and useful for scientific progress and the development of new therapies.