EN
Polish law requires that any testing and experimentation on vertebrates can only be conducted in eligible scientific centers, upon prior approval by the local ethics committee for animal testing. Ethics committees analyze proposed experiments in terms of their conformance to internationally agreed principles of reduction, replacement, and refinement, as well as assess whether the pain and suffering the animals will receive are justified by the expected scientific benefits and educational values. Throughout the 10 years since their inception, these committees have developed practical methods of assessing animal experimentation, based on currently applicable regulations and respected ethical standards. The article discusses the main criteria taken into consideration while assessing animal experimentation, which are related to the importance and objective of the experimentation, animal model, invasiveness of experimental procedures, animal welfare, and personnel qualifications.