About the Bf3R

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) performs the function of the “German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R)” by conducting its own research and coordinating nationwide activities with the aim of:

• Reducing animal experiments to the necessary minimum and
• Ensuring the best possible protection for laboratory animals.

The name Bf3R is a combination of the abbreviations BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment for the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and the 3R principle, which William Russell and Rex Burch developed in 1959. The goal of scientific animal welfare will be achieved through the following components of the 3R principle:

• Replace – Replacement of animal experiments by using alternative methods wherever possible
• Reduce – Reduction of the number of laboratory animals used to a minimum
• Refine – Reduction of the laboratory animals’ suffering

Since the foundation of the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, the protection of laboratory animals in accordance with the 3R Principle has been an integral part of its scientific work through the Centre for Documentation and Evaluation of Alternatives to Animal Experiments (ZEBET). With the amendment of the German Animal Welfare Act in 2013, the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment was also given additional laboratory animal protection tasks. The increased requirements led to the opening of the German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) at the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in 2015, into which ZEBET was integrated.

The Bf3R is an integral part of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. Due to its legal mandate, it provides advice to the competent authorities, citizens and scientists, as well as it conducts research. The Bf3R receives advice concerning its scientific mandate by the Bf3R Commission.