Commission accelerates transition away from animal testing in chemical safety assessments

Today, the European Commission presented a roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments, setting out concrete actions to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of innovative non-animal methods across EU legislation. The roadmap responds in particular to the European Citizens' Initiative ‘Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing” and aims to ensure a high level of protection for human and animal health and the environment, while supporting Europe's leadership in safe and sustainable chemicals innovation.

The initiative is a key deliverable under the Chemicals Action Plan adopted in July 2025 and supports the implementation of the REACH framework - the EU's chemicals legislation. Structured around three pillars and 22 actions, the roadmap covers 15 areas of legislation, including industrial chemicals, pesticides, biocides, pharmaceuticals, and food and feed additives. Actions include advancing research and innovation, leveraging artificial intelligence and big data, and strengthening cooperation with Member States, EU agencies, stakeholders and international partners to facilitate the transition towards non-animal approaches.

More information is available in the press release.