24,000 Compassionate Europeans Demand Action on Chemical Testing

We’ve just delivered the signatures of more than 24,000 compassionate Europeans to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) calling on officials to do their job and ensure that companies use alternatives to animal testing whenever possible.

After learning that an estimated 100,000 animals have suffered and died in experiments that could have been avoided since Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, the world’s largest chemical testing programme, was put into action, supporters of PETA UK, PETA France, PETA Netherlands and PETA Germany rushed to sign an open letter demanding an end to this rising death toll.

[T]he legislation is clear: alternative testing methods to animals must be used whenever possible, and testing on animals must be undertaken only as a last resort.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have a poor track record of ensuring that companies use non-animal testing methods whenever possible.

In response to PETA’s official complaint about avoidable animal testing, the European Ombudsman determined that ECHA are not fully applying their authority to minimise animal experiments and should do so.

However, ECHA have been procrastinating over implementing the European Ombudsman’s recommendations – despite being required by law to check that animals are only ever used as a last resort. And while they fail to act, animals continue to die.

Thank you to those who have raised their voices in defence of these animals. We’re hoping ECHA will listen!