European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE)

Any attempts to improve the EU biotechnology industry will also need to consider developments in the replacement of animal testing. Non-animal methods (NAMs) will be crucial to a successful biotech industry for several reasons. They can represent the very cutting edge of computer and biologically-based technologies such as AI, organ-on-a -chip, 3D tissue models and transcriptomics.

The replacement of animal testing through innovation is a potential beneficiary of the European Innovation Act and is therefore an important sector to consider when drafting the measures to support innovation within the Act. The desire to end animal testing by the use of replacement methods is firmly rooted within EU Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.

The CPR has not delivered on its objective to end the testing of cosmetics products and ingredients on animals for two reasons: 1. Despite repeated pleas from animal protection organisations since the inception of REACH in 2001 to ensure that there is coherence between the CPR and REACH with respect to animal testing requirements, the Commission have failed to address this issue.

This Regulation represents an important opportunity to ensure ECHAs additional tasks are fully aligned with the objectives of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS), Directive 2010/63/EU on the use of animals for research and testing and key commitments under the Commissions Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing in chemical safety assessments.