Animals and humans have a different moral status
Extrapolation from situations relevant to animals to similar ones involving man, and vice versa, is not only invalid but also a weak point in any discussion on ethics or policy. Moral standards within a community, and the legislation resulting from their establishment, are of much greater importance. For example, it is generally accepted that farm animals are slaughtered for their meat. This does not mean that the intentional killing of people is similarly deemed acceptable. Thus, the moral basis of a society, as defined by its laws, determines the differential treatment of animals and humans. Because science and technology know no geographical barriers, industrialised and many developing countries share the same research potential. Therefore, protection of the well being and integrity of man and animals requires international harmonisation of all relevant legislation.

It is not easy to consider all elements necessary to design a research policy. The ultimate aim of a project should not be the sole justification for its execution; thought must also be given to the consequences of the research and the way in which the results might be used. Ideally, this process should be carried out by peer review and should include discussions with 'educated' lay people, who are likely to be less biased in their analysis of a project and, therefore, will offer a wider perspective on the research under consideration. In general, it is only the use of animals in specific research projects that is subjected to ethical review and not the consequence of the research project's results. During the last decade, the ethical review of animal experiments has become an established policy in many countries. Members of the ethical committees tend to be multidisciplinary and include scientists, experts on ethics and lay people. These committees are not consulted, however, on strategic decisions for research policy. They simply review individual projects or experiments and rely on prior scientific evaluation to determine the quality and significance of the research itself. Their main function is to assess whether the experimental design and procedures use a minimum number of animals and inflict minimal harm upon them. This evaluation system is very effective at improving the treatment of laboratory animals but is not instrumental in strategic decision-making for the planning of research programmes.

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