Biggest success in decreasing animal testing numbers

Posted on 24/01/2012

The European Parliament has adopted in plenary last week, legislation to implement stricter safety checks on biocides, products ranging from rat poisons to disinfectants. The new provisions reduce animal testing by making data sharing compulsory and encouraging a more flexible and intelligent approach to testing.

Up to 6,000 animals are used to test a single biocidal active substance. However, following an intensive animal welfare lobby, the legislation includes a significant decrease in numbers of animals required by sparing the lives of many thousands of animals used in toxicity testing while maintaining a high level of human health and environmental protection. These rules will next be officially adopted by the Council, which has already provisionally agreed to the new legislation. They shall apply from 1 September 2013.