In the European Union (EU), animal welfare is seen as a matter of great importance. However, with respect to animal experimentation, European citizens feel quite uninformed. The European Directive 2010/63/EU for the protection of laboratory animals aims for greater transparency and requires that a comprehensible, nontechnical summary (NTS) of each authorised research project involving animals is published by the respective Member State. However, the NTSs remain sleeping beauties if their contents are not easily and systematically accessible. The German web-based NTS database AnimalTestInfo is a unique channel for scientists to communicate their work, and provides the opportunity for large-scale analyses of planned animal studies to inform researchers and the public. For an in-depth meta-analysis, we classified the duly completed NTSs submitted to AnimalTestInfo in 2014 and 2015 according to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) system. Indexing the NTSs with ICD codes provided a fine-grained overview of the prospective uses of experimental animals. Using this approach, transparency, especially for highly controversial animal research involving, for example, nonhuman primates, is fostered, as it enables pinpointing the envisaged beneficiary down to the level of the addressed disease. Moreover, research areas with many planned projects involving animals can be specified in detail. The development of 3R (replacement, reduction, and refinement) measures in these research areas may be most efficient, as a large number of experimental animals would benefit from it. Indexing NTSs with ICD codes can support governments and funding agencies in advancing target-oriented funding of 3R research. Data drawn from NTSs can provide a basis for the development, validation, and implementation of directed 3R strategies as well as guidance for rethinking the role of animal research models.

在欧洲联盟（EU）中，动物福利被视为非常重要的问题。但是，在动物实验方面，欧洲公民对此并不了解。有关保护实验动物的欧洲指令2010/63 / EU旨在提高透明度，并要求各个成员国发布涉及动物的每个授权研究项目的可理解的非技术性摘要（NTS）。但是，如果NTS的内容不容易和系统地访问，它们将保持休眠状态。基于德国网络的NTS数据库AnimalTestInfo是科学家交流其工作的独特渠道，并提供了对计划中的动物研究进行大规模分析的机会，从而为研究人员和公众提供了信息。为了进行深入的荟萃分析，我们对提交给AnimalTestInfo的正式完成的NTS进行了分类根据国际疾病和相关健康问题分类（ICD）系统在2014年和2015年进行。用ICD代码对NTS进行索引，为实验动物的预期用途提供了细粒度的概述。使用这种方法，可以提高透明度，尤其是对于涉及非人类灵长类动物等备受争议的动物研究，因为它可以将预期的受益人精确定位到所针对疾病的水平。此外，可以详细指定具有许多计划中的动物项目的研究领域。在这些研究领域中开发3R（置换，还原和精制）措施可能是最有效的，因为大量的实验动物将从中受益。用ICD代码对NTS进行索引可以支持政府和资助机构推进针对目标的3R研究资助。从NTS收集的数据可以为定向3R策略的开发，验证和实施提供基础，并为重新思考动物研究模型的作用提供指导。