A few weeks ago, the EU adopted a formal roadmap for phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments. I have asked my colleague, Giorgia Pallocca, senior program director for regulatory science at Humane World for Animals, to share her thoughts on this important news. Giorgia, who holds a Ph.D. in toxicology, has extensive experience regarding the implementation of non-animal approaches in chemical safety testing. That brings particular value to her perspective on the roadmap’s ambitions, the challenges ahead and the opportunities it presents for accelerating the adoption of non-animal methodologies across Europe and beyond.
Five years ago, over 1.2 million people signed the “Save Cruelty-Free Cosmetics—Commit to a Europe without animal testing” European Citizens’ Initiative, which we helped to organize, urging the EU to accelerate its transition to animal-free science. In response to the ECI, the European Commission has published a roadmap for phasing out animal testing in the chemicals, pesticides and medicines sectors.
At its heart, this roadmap outlines a shared vision to end animal testing by embracing a modern science based on human biology and an improved understanding of how toxic substances cause harm, which will eventually spare millions of animals from experiments, and be better for people and the environment.
The roadmap will help to lead us towards a future in which safety tests rely exclusively on non-animal methods, not least because the European Commission has formally committed to phasing out (rather than simply reducing) animal tests across multiple sectors. The roadmap's scope and phased implementation strategy, and its emphasis on consistent collaboration between policymakers, regulators, academic and scientific institutions, industry, and nongovernmental organizations provides a strong foundation for driving change.
Reaching this milestone has taken years of advocacy, collaboration, and substantive efforts to integrate relevant advances in applied science. It has been one of our highest priorities, and we have worked alongside other nonprofit organizations, participating in Commission workshops, contributing to critical cross-sector dialogue and staying the course.
What comes next?
With the EU roadmap in place, and the recent news that Environmental Protection Agency in the US is also taking further steps away from its reliance on animal testing, we’re now closer than ever to a world without animal testing.
Within the EU, we will work to ensure that these commitments are rapidly translated into concrete regulatory change, and encourage the Commission to take timely and consistent steps to deliver on its plan.
Earlier this year, we learned that the EU had cancelled its previously planned full reform of chemical safety laws. The regulatory changes we seek will now have to be made in smaller steps. But our vision and our energy remain the same. We will continue to advocate for regulatory changes that reflect the commitments of the roadmap, and as the founding force behind the Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration, we will extend our work across different sectors and promote solutions based on scientific evidence, leveraging the roadmap to reinforce the use of animal-free science at every turn.
What’s missing from the roadmap?
What the roadmap does not yet offer is a detailed plan for implementation, and a discussion of the regulatory changes that will be needed to support safety decisions based on animal-free science. It doesn’t set out clearly defined and time-bound milestones or accountability measures, and it comes up short in its recommendations for funding, political commitments and practical delivery mechanisms, all essential for long-term success. We’re going to press for further action on all these goals.
What about animals used in research procedures?
Moreover, while the roadmap sets out a vision to end animal testing in safety assessments, it doesn’t adequately address the use of animals in scientific research, which still accounts for most scientific procedures in the EU. In 2023, the total number of animals used for all purposes in the EU was 8.08 million. A little more than 1 million were used for regulatory testing, carried out to satisfy government requirements. Almost 3 million were used for translational and applied research, which focus on moving scientific discoveries toward practical applications that improve human health and well-being and specific practical problems, respectively. Finally, another 2.8 million animals were used for basic research, which explores general biological and scientific principles and theories without particular focus on practical applications.
This means that nearly 6 million animals a year will continue to be used in research throughout the EU. We cannot leave them behind, and we’ll be pressing for the publication of a parallel roadmap for phasing out their use.
To achieve that goal, we’re calling for a bold and coordinated investment in animal-free research across Europe. Animal-free methods such as organ-on-a-chip technologies and AI-driven methods offer human-relevant ways to study disease and develop treatments without the need to harm animals. And we can also double down on the positive applications of basic science to the goal of replacing animal use.
Unfortunately, at present, these approaches remain underfunded and underutilized. As founders of the Biomed21 Collaboration, we are calling for a dedicated “Moonshot” for NAMs (new approach methods) initiative in the research sector to accelerate their adoption and help replace animal use across the scientific research sector. You can read more about this proposal here.
The ECI’s success on its animal testing roadmap shows that when enough citizens come together to speak out against animal testing, real change is possible. As we progress towards revising chemical safety laws in the EU, we will continue our cross-sector efforts to push for clear deadlines, accountability measures, and the prioritization of animal-free methods wherever possible. This roadmap represents a rare moment of significant progress, and it provides a solid foundation on which to build a future where science no longer causes harm to animals. That’s the kind of future we seek, and the vision to which we are committed.
