The Current Status of the 3Rs Principles in Animal Use in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Overview and Future Perspectives
Simple Summary This paper presents a narrative review of the legal and policy framework for the use of animals in scientific procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement). Although the country has made progress in aligning its laws with European standards, important gaps remain in practice, including limited national coordination, lack of detailed guidance, insufficient training, and limited support for alternative methods that do not use animals. The review highlights the need for stronger coordination, clearer rules, better training, and more investment in alternative methods to improve animal welfare and research quality. It also discusses policy options, such as enhanced regional cooperation and a potential joint centre to promote humane and modern research methods, which could help Bosnia and Herzegovina and neighbouring countries move closer to European standards. Overall, improving the ethical use of animals in research is important not only for animal protection, but also for scientific quality, reproducibility, and public trust.