On 3 April, the European commission published a public consultation on a proposal aimed at amending a regulation to "reduce the number of chemical tests performed on animals or refine these tests".
To achieve this, the proposal introduces new methods and updates several existing ones, including:
- Three updated test methods for the determination of effects on human health, relating to in vitro tests for eye irritation and skin sensitization
- Three new test methods for the assessment of ecotoxicity.
European stakeholders are invited to submit their contributions until 1 May 2025. The European Commission is expected to publish the revised text in the third quarter of 2025.