The German Animal Welfare Act (pdf) is some of the strictest legislation in the world and affords animals far-reaching protection. According to the law they are fellow creatures. At the same time, animal research is explicitly allowed, but it must always be shown that the goal of the experiments cannot be reached using other methods or techniques. According to the Animal Welfare Act, animal experiments may only be carried out if at least one of the following criteria is fulfilled: The experiments serve the purpose of prevention, diagnosis or treatment of diseases in humans and animals. They help recognize environmental hazards. They are part of safety testing for materials or products. They are necessary for basic research.