European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing continued
The European Commission and 35 blue-chip companies from 7 industry sectors have agreed to continue collaborating in a partnership that aims at promoting alternative approaches to animal testing.
The European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA), whose vision is the replacement, reduction and refinement (3Rs) of animal use for meeting regulatory requirements through better and more predictive science, is now successfully completing its second five-year term. The EPAA partners want to build on the experience acquired during this past 10-year period and on the achievements to date in order to further progress their unique collaboration on 3Rs approaches.
The partners include 5 Directorates-General of the European Commission, and some 35 companies from the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, soaps and detergents, crop protection, animal health and fragrances sectors, including their respective European trade federations.
Within the EPAA, industry and the European Commission have developed a wide range of actions, notably in the areas of data sharing, promoting innovative thinking on toxicology testing without animals, streamlining procedures allowing alternative approaches to be used, and challenging traditional ways involving the use of animals in meeting regulatory requirements. Some actions will generate results in the short term, whereas others are of a more long-term nature, necessitating a strong commitment to continuous action by industry and authorities.
Areas where EPAA wants to put more emphasis in future include closer co-operation with regulatory agencies and with national regulators. EPAA will also strive to promote international harmonization of regulatory safety testing requirements, whenever suitable and possible
