How PETA Helps Companies Find Animal-Free Solutions to EU Chemical Regulations
One of the many ways in which PETA scientists, through the PETA International Science Consortium Ltd., work to promote non-animal testing methods is by supporting companies in their appeals against requests from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to conduct animal tests.
When companies want to manufacture or import chemicals into the EU, ECHA often requests that they test the substances on animals under the REACH regulation. Experiments on animals are cruel and expensive and can produce dangerously misleading results that are inapplicable to humans. Fortunately, companies have the option to appeal against such requests, and the Consortium can offer them support when they do so.
The Consortium submits written arguments against the need for tests on animals and, when necessary, attends hearings at ECHA’s Helsinki headquarters to defend this position. These appeals are very diverse in nature and involve a variety of different substances, including traditional chemicals, nanomaterials, and even cosmetics ingredients.
The Consortium also works with a legal team to ensure that all the legal, technical, and ethical issues surrounding the requested tests on animals are given proper consideration.
Winning an appeal can spare animals horrific suffering. For example, in 2015, the Consortium supported CINIC Chemicals Europe in its successful appeal against a request to conduct experiments that would have involved force-feeding chemicals to approximately 1,300 animals during pregnancy or shortly after birth and then killing and dissecting them.
Even when an appeal isn’t successful, the Consortium’s work still makes a positive difference. It highlights the ethical concerns surrounding animal testing to both the companies involved and ECHA, whilst also raising awareness of non-animal methods, and it encourages ECHA to think carefully before requesting or proposing more animal tests in future.
What You Can Do
Many chemicals that are used in cosmetics, cleaning products, and other household goods are tested on animals. Please ensure that the products you buy are cruelty-free by checking the PETA US database:
