WRITTEN QUESTION E-0765/02

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) and Inger Schörling (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 March 2002)

Subject: Promotion of non-animal testing

In order to achieve the overriding goal of sustainable development, the Commission has identified a number of objectives in the White Paper on a Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy that must be met in order to achieve sustainable development in the chemicals industry within the framework of the Single Market. These objectives comprise the protection of human health and the environment as well as the promotion of non-animal testing.

In that respect, the Commission stated that precise knowledge on the intrinsic properties as well as on the exposure arising as a result of a particular use and of the disposal is an indispensable prerequisite for decision making on the safe management of chemicals. This raises the question of how this indispensable prerequisite can be fulfilled most effectively and in the shortest possible time, while minimising tests on laboratory animals, also with a view to stop the ongoing uncontrolled testing of millions of tonnes of chemicals on man and the environment at large.

Several strategies could be pursued in parallel, as inter alia addressed by the resolution of the European Parliament (A5-0356/2001) on the future chemicals policy:

- Mandatory data-sharing between companies and countries of existing chemicals information, including consortia-building by industry to avoid duplicate testing;

- Prohibition of the use of animal tests where alternative tests recognised by the authorities are available, and acceleration of the development and validation of further non-animal tests;

- a step-wise non-animal testing strategy, that makes full use of computer models that predict hazards based on chemical structure (QSAR), as well as of physico-chemical tests for persistency and bioaccumulation, and cascades of recognised in vitro tests;

- grouping of substances for assessment purposes;

- phase out of substances that are persistent and bioaccumulative without the additional demand for toxicity data.

How does the Commission judge each of these strategies in terms of effectiveness of getting the necessary data and reduction of animal testing, respectively?

Which of these strategies does the Commission intend to pursue and in which way?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2002)

The Commission is currently preparing a legislative proposal, which will be based on the White Paper on the Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy(1) and will take due account of the Parliament Resolution (A5-0356/2001) and the conclusions of the Council.

The strategies for minimising animal testing referred to in the above Resolution are all being considered during the preparation of the new legislation. Furthermore, the Commission has consulted extensively with a wide range of stakeholder working groups, which included representatives of animal welfare organisations, Member State authorities and industry, on a range of technical issues related to implementation of the White Paper strategy. One such working group considered the issues related to animal testing and its discussions are also being taken into account in the preparation of the new legislation.

Once the Commission has prepared its legislative proposal, it will be submitted to Parliament and Council under the co-decision procedure. The provisions related to animal testing can then be discussed with all stakeholders as an important element of the wider debate on the new legislation.

(1) COM(2001) 88 final.