Read our 6-point plan for a more humane chemicals regulation

We are calling on the EU to use the passing of the chemical registration deadline as an opportunity to change regulation to protect animals.

Friday 1^st June 2018 was the final day for chemicals produced and sold within the EU to be registered with the European Chemicals Agency. The deadline marks 10 years under the EU’s REACH legislation.

A 6-point plan drafted by our science team will not only save lives and stop the needless suffering of countless animals, but also encourage better and more human-relevant non-animal alternatives to be used. It recommends that:

1. The Commission should speed up the implementation of the Test Methods Regulation, to remove red tape that slows down alternative methods being accepted.
2. The Commission and Member States must continue to create international standards for chemicals regulation that avoids animal testing where an accepted alternative is available.
3. The European Chemicals Agency must do more to support the use of alternative methods by guiding industry and Member States on what is required to avoid animal testing.
4. EU Member States should support the parts of REACH law that make animal testing a last resort and reject speculative requests for animal testing to evaluate substances.
5. The Commission and Member States should give more funding to alternative methods.
6. The Commission and Member States should respect both the European public’s opinion and opinion of MEPs who voted for the Cosmetics Regulation and the European Parliament’s recent resolution to end cosmetics animal testing globally. They should do all that they can to secure an international agreement to put a stop to animal tests under REACH, for both new and existing chemicals that are used in cosmetics.

Dr Katy Taylor, Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs at Cruelty Free International says: “We are concerned that the risk of animals being tested on in Europe has increased because of European authorities’ safety requirements to satisfy REACH, as well as the knock-on effect it has on cosmetics. Our 6-point plan would lead to a more humane chemicals regulation. We hope members of the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee keep it in mind when they discuss a petition signed by over 100,000 people on the topic this month.”