IP/08/1676
Brussels, 11 November 2008
Animal Testing: Launch of a new website to
inform about the development of alternative methods
The European Commission has launched today a new
website, the so-called 'Tracking System for Alternative test methods Review
Validation and Approval (TSAR)', designed to track the development of new
alternative test methods which should replace, reduce and refine current animal
testing.
"The launch of this website is good news: it proves that we are serious
about our commitment to develop alternative methods to animal testing and to be
transparent about progress being made" said European Science and Research
Commissioner Janez Potočnik. "It is in all our interests to avoid the
use of animals in testing, for both ethical and animal welfare reasons. We also
need fast, reliable and cost-effective test methods which ensure the safety of
products for users, to help European industry, and which satisfy
regulators."
The purpose of TSAR is to enable citizens and other interested parties to
track progress of the review, validation and approval of alternative test
methods, ensuring greater transparency of the process. The ultimate aim will be
to cover each and every step of the validation route, from submission of a new
method for pre-validation through to final adoption by its inclusion in EU
legislation and/or related Guidance Documents. It will also explain the
decisions that have been made at every step of the process. When the final
decision on a proposed test method is negative, TSAR will clearly indicate the
reasons why this decision has been taken. The website will be updated whenever a
phase in the process is completed, ensuring the latest information is always
available. However, to enable a rapid launch, the initial version covers only
the part of regulatory approval of methods in the field of chemicals.
New alternative tests are subject to a process involving several stages of
development, from proposal for validation to final inclusion in the EU
regulatory framework. By consulting the website, it will be possible to check
whether an alternative test exists, for example, to test for "skin irritation
and corrosion" and to know if that method is already accepted in the EU
legislation or for other regulatory use. Detailed information on each method
will also allow interested users to know which domain of the 3Rs the method
applies to - i.e. if it reduces, replaces or refines testing on animals - and
which legislation refers to the method (in case of methods already adopted for
regulatory use).
The website is managed by the Joint Research Centre's Institute for Health
and Consumer Protection.
Website address: http://ihcp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/tsar
For more information, see also: SPEECH/08/574
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