EU pushes to phase out animal testing with industry collaboration

The European Commission (EC) has unveiled a roadmap to phase out animal tests in chemical safety assessments across the EU, including for cosmetics. The move aims to replace animal tests with alternative methods without sacrificing safety standards for consumers or the environment. 

The roadmap forms part of the EU’s Chemicals Action Plan and supports the chemicals regulations under REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals). It outlines 22 actions that can reduce and eventually phase out animal testing across 15 areas, including consumer products, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides.

“After decades of animal testing, we are taking concrete steps to end this. Phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments based on innovation will be a triple win for animals, the environment, and companies,” says Jessika Roswall, EU commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy.

The EC maintains that novel non-animal methods can provide faster chemical safety assessments and be more cost-effective and innovation-friendly simultaneously, aligning with the personal care industry’s ethos for cruelty-free innovation.

“We will now build on this collective momentum to implement the roadmap actions. This will speed up progress toward a new scientific framework that no longer relies on animal testing,” Roswall adds.

Following the announcement, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) unveiled a platform on Alternatives to Animal Testing to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing between stakeholders. 

Pillars of progress

The EC’s roadmap is built around three pillars to help phase out animal testing in Europe. The first outlines over 30 recommendations where stakeholders can replace, reduce, or refine animal use in safety assessments for human health and environmental tests. 

The second pillar aims to strengthen research and innovation in Europe, for example, by supporting scientists and businesses developing New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

The personal care industry, in recent years, has doubled down on its commitment to innovate more effective and more ethical safety testing, partially due to rising consumer demands. 

As non-animal testing methods continue to advance, the beauty sector is increasingly being recognized for helping pave the way to wider NAM adoption. Regulators late last year cited the industry’s established use of alternative methods as a blueprint for other sectors.

The roadmap includes 22 actions supporting the development of non-animal testing methods.Part of the EC’s pillar to strengthen NAM innovation in Europe is using AI and large data sets to improve safety assessments, an approach the cosmetics industry has championed for years.

Finally, the third pillar of the roadmap focuses on collaboration. The EC plans to work with EU member states, agencies, international regulators, and multiple industries to help implement alternative testing methods. 

“The publication of this roadmap marks a pivotal step toward modernizing chemical safety assessments while reinforcing Europe’s leadership in innovation,” says Stéphane Séjourné, executive VP for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy at the EC.

“By phasing out animal testing, we are not only upholding higher ethical standards but also strengthening our competitiveness through cutting-edge, non-animal alternative technologies.”

The EC is implementing the roadmap immediately and has scheduled a conference for 2029 to review progress and discuss the following steps.

Collaboration platform

ECHA’s new Alternatives to Animal Testing platform will bring together regulators, industry representatives, researchers, and civil society groups. The participants are encouraged to share their knowledge, discuss scientific challenges, and support the regulatory acceptance of non-animal testing methods. The first joint meeting will take place in Helsinki, Iceland, later this month. 

“ECHA is committed to the objectives of the roadmap and the transition from traditional testing methods to innovative non-animal approaches,” the agency says.

The regulatory arm has committed to developing new NAMs, along with tools, data, and scientific methods that help reduce and replace animal testing.

The second pillar aims to strengthen research and innovation in Europe, for example, by supporting scientists and businesses developing New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).As non-animal testing methods continue to advance, the beauty sector is increasingly being recognized for helping pave the way to wider NAM adoption. Regulators late last year cited the industry’s established use of alternative methods as a blueprint for other sectors.The roadmap includes 22 actions supporting the development of non-animal testing methods.The roadmap includes 22 actions supporting the development of non-animal testing methods.The roadmap includes 22 actions supporting the development of non-animal testing methods.Finally, the third pillar of the roadmap focuses on collaboration. The EC plans to work with EU member states, agencies, international regulators, and multiple industries to help implement alternative testing methods.