This week our science and legal team submitted our intervention statement to the Board of Appeal in support of a consortium of chemical companies challenging a request to test on animals by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

The consortium produces a range of hydraulic fluids which they say are all very similar. Unfortunately, ECHA has requested them to conduct two lengthy and highly unpleasant animal tests for each of 14 different substances.

The tests are a 90-day repeated dose toxicity study using rats and a prenatal developmental study using rats or rabbits. Each test involves force-feeding the substances in varying doses to animals through a tube down their throat.

A minimum of 12,600 animals could be used, with further tests involving tens of thousands of animals also likely to be requested later if the decision stands.

The consortium argues that ECHA was unfair and unclear during the decision-making process and leapt to the formal stages with little time for them to react. The companies say they can assure the safety of the substances using much fewer animals than proposed by the Agency by applying data from some of the substances to the rest.

We have submitted detailed observations in support of the consortium, arguing that ECHA should have adopted a different approach. We recommend that ECHA either accepts the step by step testing strategy constructed by the consortium or assists them in developing a revised approach, with the aim of preventing animal tests.

The case is now with the Board of Appeal, an independent decision-making judicial body for the EU, and should be decided within a few months.