Realizing Our Principles

Wherever Bayer conducts animal studies, experts are appointed to handle animal welfare matters. Their responsibility is to improve education, provide guidance and advice, as well as to monitor the implementation of animal studies. Our Animal Welfare Officers and Animal Welfare Committees ensure that our Bayer principles for animal welfare and animal studies are put into practice.

Our Corporate Animal Welfare Committee

Bayer has established a global Corporate Animal Welfare Committee to guarantee high and uniform standards of animal welfare worldwide. The members of the committee are local experts responsible for animal welfare and representatives of the subsidiaries. They are complemented by employees with other functions who are in contact with national and regional authorities. The main responsibilities of the committee are:

• support the implementation of legislative requirements within the company
• develop guidelines and ensure their distribution on corporate level, e.g. standards for animal housing and environmental enrichment
• create global principles for the training and qualification of our staff members
• coordinate the selection and the auditing of external partners
• foster dialogue with all stakeholders to continuously analyze and advance animal welfare within the company

Through our Animal Welfare Coordinator and the Animal Welfare Committee we ensure that the Bayer principles for animal welfare and animal studies are applied on corporate level.

Our Animal Welfare Officers

Animal testing at Bayer is always accompanied by animal welfare experts. They monitor all the laboratories and institutes within Bayer AG that conduct animal studies: Pharmaceuticals, Animal Health and Crop Science.

These experts have managerial authority in all matters of animal welfare and act with the full support of the Board of Management. In Germany, the Animal Welfare Officer takes on this important responsibility. The three main functions are:

1. Advising Scientists

The Animal Welfare Officers and their colleagues support Bayer scientists on legal requirements, Bayer’s principles, the selection of study methods, and the appropriate species to use. They also monitor external partners (e.g. laboratories, academic research institutes) to ensure that their working methods are consistent with our principles.

2. Continuous Education

Our experts also play their part in ensuring that our animal studies are always conducted on the basis of the latest scientific findings and methods. They post information on current developments in management and also on internal websites. Up-to-date information is therefore immediately accessible for all employees.

3. Cooperation with Authorities

Another responsibility is the cooperation with animal welfare authorities. They apply for studies and, if necessary, import licenses and compile the data that has to be submitted. The Animal Welfare Officers and their colleagues are contacts for Bayer employees, for supervisory authorities, and for the media.