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Ethics in animal experiments is an important concern of the Herbipôle teams. It is also a regulatory obligation to which the unit has replied even before the official texts have been put in place within INRAE.

Every Herbipôle staff member received a basic training in order to get an accreditation depending on its function and its initial level of training. These abilities are regularly updated in various seminars and technical schools, related to ethics and the care of animals in experimentation. Seven staff members are accredited as « experimental protocol designer » (level 1), which allow them to create and lead the conduct of experimental protocols independently.

An Animal Welfare Structure (SBEA : Structure Bien-Être Animal) ) is in place at each Herbipôle site. It is composed of people in charge of animal care, of the veterinarian that follows the herds and of a engineer accredited for level 1. The aim of the structure is to advice on welfare all the personnel working with animals, and also to verify that the protocols are applied in a manner that respects animal ethics.

The facilities are accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Compliance visits regularly conducted at the various sites, as new buildings are modified and built.

Before being established on Herbipôle, the protocols are analyzed in order to verify whether they fall within the scope of the regulations on animal experiments. If so, the unit helps the designers of the project to submit their protocol to the Ethics Committee, registers the files on the ministerial platform and follows the progress of the accreditation process until the notification of Decision of the Ministry.