Animal Testing Ethics Committee (CEEA)
The Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee (CEEA) is the body responsible for safeguarding the welfare of animals used at the Health Research Institute La Fe (IIS La Fe). It was established in response to the Institute's obligation, as a user establishment of laboratory animals, under Article 37 of Royal Decree 53/2013 of 1 February, which establishes the basic rules for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, including education.
Tl. +34 96 124 67 06 (246706)
ceea(ELIMINAR)@iislafe.es
In addition, the Committee is authorised to evaluate research projects involving the use of laboratory animals.
The CEEA ensures compliance with current legislation on animal experimentation at all times and provides advice on procedures and regulations governing animal research and teaching activities carried out at IIS La Fe.
(*) (*) Fees associated with the evaluation and processing of animal experimentation projects vary depending on the type of user and the applicant institution. To consult the current fees, please refer to the Experimental Surgery and Animal Models Platform (PCEMA) fee schedule and review the item "EVALUATION AND PROCESSING OF ANIMAL WELFARE PROJECTS."
Main functions
The main functions of the CEEA are those set out in Article 38 of Royal Decree 53/2013, establishing the basic rules for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, including education. These include:
- Advising personnel responsible for animals on issues relating to their acquisition, housing, care and use.
- Advising staff on the implementation of the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs), while keeping them informed of scientific and technical advances in these areas.
- Establishing and reviewing internal operating procedures concerning the monitoring, communication and management of information related to animal welfare.
- Ensuring that humane euthanasia methods are used.
- Ensuring that all personnel involved in animal procedures are appropriately trained and competent to perform their assigned duties.
- Reviewing previously authorised procedures or suspending any ongoing procedure that fails to comply with the approved protocol.
- Advising on rehoming or adoption programmes, including the appropriate socialisation of animals before rehoming or adoption.
- For user establishments, preparing the report referred to in Article 33.1 and monitoring research projects, taking into account their impact on the animals used, as well as identifying and assessing measures that contribute to Replacement, Reduction and Refinement.
Structure
The Committee is composed of professionals with complementary expertise, including the Animal Welfare Officer and the Designated Veterinarian of IIS La Fe; researchers specialising in different animal models and in basic and translational research; specialists in biostatistics, occupational risk prevention and biosafety; as well as professionals with expertise in veterinary medicine and animal welfare, both from within and outside the institution.
Its structure is as follows:
Chair:
Director of Research at IIS La Fe.
Vice-Chair:
Principal Investigator. Experimental Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit.
Secretary:
Research Biologist, Animal Facility.
Members:
- Animal Welfare Officer and Designated Veterinarian, IIS La Fe.
- Animal Facility Veterinarian.
- Researcher, Cerebrovascular Research.
- Biostatistician, Big Data, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Platform.
- External Researcher to IIS La Fe. Principal Investigator, Experimental Metabolomic Pathology, CSIC.
- Head of Occupational Risk Prevention, IIS La Fe.
- Head of Administrative Management, IIS La Fe.
- Head of Molecular Biology.
- Head of the Biobank.
- Scientific Area Technician
All research projects involving the use of laboratory animals must obtain a favourable opinion from the La Fe Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee (CEEA) before implementation and prior to notification or submission for the required authorisation from the competent authority.