A revision of the European Union’s REACH regulation, which governs the registration, evaluation, authorisation, and restriction of chemicals, is drawing attention from animal rights advocates who argue for a careful approach to chemicals risk assessment and market practices.

These advocates stress the importance of aligning any updates with the principles of the Clean Industrial Deal, particularly in terms of decarbonisation and enhancing competitiveness within the chemical industry.

The revision of REACH is welcomed by many groups, particularly for the potential to integrate alternative non-animal testing methods.

However, the current proposals have sparked reservations among advocates.

The European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), representing chemical companies across Europe, has proposed a 10-point action plan aimed at simplifying REACH.

Notably, animal rights organization Humane World for Animals has raised concerns regarding the clarity and enforcement of the 'last resort' requirement, which stipulates that animal testing should only occur when no alternatives are available.

Jay Ingram, Managing Director of Chemicals at Humane World for Animals, has urged for a more precise definition of what constitutes a 'last resort' to ensure that animal testing is not unnecessarily expanded.

Ingram highlighted the need for enhanced regulation regarding the circumstances under which animal testing is authorized, stating, "This really needs to be strengthened; there needs to be a lot more specificity around what 'last resort' actually means and how it is demonstrated."

Furthermore, there are worries that the REACH revision could lead to increased animal testing in complex areas, particularly concerning endocrine disruption.

Ingram expressed concerns that recent updates to the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulation could require additional animal testing to evaluate the endocrine-disrupting potential of existing chemicals, as well as new substances.

Such requirements may result in significant data generation without assurance of its utility for ensuring safety in chemical assessments.

The use of alternative testing approaches is part of CEFIC’s action plan, which recommends introducing New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to promote reliable animal-free safety assessments.

CEFIC argues for a reorientation of the hazard focus within REACH and aims to diminish the default requirements for animal testing where feasible.

They propose greater justification from regulators when requests for testing can't be replaced by exposure-based approaches or NAMs.

Efforts to phase out animal testing have been reinforced by the European Commission's ongoing development of a roadmap following feedback from the Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics/End Animal Testing European Citizens’ Initiative.

Antigoni Effraimidou, a senior strategist at Humane World for Animals, noted ongoing progress in developing advanced chemical safety assessments that do not rely on animal testing.

While acknowledging the need for new non-animal methods to address complex testing endpoints, Effraimidou described the current climate as conducive to regulatory transformation and cultural change within the scientific community.