S.L. 439.13 Art. 14Choice of methods.

(1) The Department shall establish and maintain a monitoring and control system for the enforcement of a procedure not to be carried out if another method or alternative testing strategy for obtaining the result sought, not entailing the use of a live animal, is recognised under other applicable EU legislation.

(2) When choosing between procedures, the selection criteria shall be based taking into account the following requirements:

(a) the minimum number of animals to be used;

(b) the use of animals with the lowest capacity to experience pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm;

(c) the least pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm to be caused; and

(d) the most satisfactory results provided or likely to be provided.

(3) Death as the end-point of a procedure shall be avoided as far as possible and replaced by early and humane end-points. Where death as the end-point is unavoidable, the procedure shall be designed so as to:

(a) result in the least deaths of animals as possible; and

(b) reduce the duration and intensity of suffering to the animal to the possible minimum and guarantee a painless death, in so far as this is technically and physically feasible and possible.