The Federal Ministry of Defence forecasts an increase in projects that involve the use or killing of animals in the coming years. This statement was reported by the “Rheinische Post,” based on a response to a parliamentary inquiry from the Left party. The Ministry stated that due to the high complexity of the issues and the changing geopolitical situation, it expects such research projects to rise until 2029.
In response to this outlook, Ina Latendorf, the Parliamentary Chief of Staff for the Left party, criticized the development. She argued that instead of increasing animal testing within the Bundeswehr, the government should implement a concrete societal exit strategy and immediately ban severe animal experiments. Latendorf also pointed out that a majority of the population holds a critical view toward animal testing.
The official responses provided do not detail exactly how many test animals the Bundeswehr has utilized in recent years, as the federal government has classified these figures as confidential. However, previous documents indicate that the Bundeswehr used almost 400 test animals in 2019, while the number surpassed 900 in 2011. The government has repeatedly affirmed that all relevant legal requirements concerning animal welfare during experiments are strictly adhered to.
