Animal Research Transparency Agreement

The University of Mons (UMONS) is developing cutting-edge research in the field of biological and biomedical sciences to better understand the processes involved in the development and progression of diseases, such as cancer, muscle diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. This research still requires the use of animal testing, although alternative methods are encouraged and developed at the HEALTH Research Institute of UMONS.

All studies involving animal testing are assessed, both from a scientific point of view (by external assessment committees) and from an ethical point of view. All projects are subject to the approval of an ethics committee and inspection by the Walloon Public Service for Animal Welfare (Service wallon du Bien-être animal).

As a signatory to the Animal Research Transparency Agreement, UMONS collaborates with 18 Belgian research centres and companies to communicate openly on animal testing in order to inform the public about how animal testing improves health, as well as the efforts being made to minimise it and develop better alternatives.

The full agreement and an overview of the signatories are available on the Belgian Council for Laboratory Animal Science website (BCLAS).