Portuguese institutions that are signatories of the Transparency Agreement on Animal Research have continued to expand their openness in communicating how and why animals are used in scientific research, according to the latest evaluation report from 2024.

 

 

The fifth annual report of the Transparency Agreement, supported by the European Animal Research Association (EARA), presents data from 27 out of 30 signatory institutions. The results demonstrate a consolidation of good practice in transparency, particularly in public engagement, media interactions and digital communication, alongside an increase in the number of signatories – up from 27 in 2023 to 30 in 2024.

Among the most notable indicators of improved openness and communication in 2024 were:

• 93% of responding signatories have a position statement on animal experimentation published on their websites.

• 81% use social media to proactively communicate about the use of animals in research, particularly on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

• 24 organisations reported organising internal events (talks, workshops, open days), and 21 included animal research in recruitment materials or open days.

• 13 institutions shared photographs of animals, 12 showed their facilities in photos, and 10 published videos of both animals and facilities.

• 19 institutions hosted internal staff visits, 18 organised visits for targeted groups, 13 participated in open days, 12 received student groups and 6 opened their facilities to politicians.

• 13 institutions gave interviews, 9 hosted journalist visits, 9 spoke at public panels, and 7 made media statements about animal use in research.

 

Despite this positive progress, some challenges remain:

• Only 6 institutions publish non-technical summaries (NTS) on their websites, despite the encouragement to make these documents more accessible.

• Few institutions (7) publicly share detailed statistics on the number and species of animals used, and only one reports the percentage of research using animals.

• Resource constraints (staff time and expertise) and internal resistance from institutional leadership are ongoing barriers to further transparency.

Among the highlights of 2024 were the first Open Week on Animal Research (6-10 May 2024), during which signatories opened their facilities to the public, organised seminars and hosted Portugal’s first Patient Discovery Day, and the successful Openness event at the Gulbenkian Institute of Molecular Medicine, which brought together scientists, communicators and animal welfare officers.

 

Regarding the new report, EARA’s executive director, Kirk Leech said: “The Portuguese Transparency Agreement, launched in 2018, is now one of nine national agreements in Europe. It continues to lead by example, fostering a culture of openness and ethical responsibility around the use of animals in scientific research.”