Last week saw the launch of the new European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) – an EU-wide programme, coordinated by the French regulatory authority ANSES, which aims to revolutionise the way that risks posed by chemicals are discovered and understood. 

The project, which involves 200 partners encompassing authorities from across the European Union as well as research organisations, looks to support the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability’s ambition of a “toxic-free” environment by developing better approaches for assessing the effects of chemicals on humans and the environment.  

Our Director of Public Affairs, Kerry Postlewhite, said: “We support the French authorities in their role as coordinators of this ambitious and important project and are excited by the prospect of new ways of assessing chemicals. The PARC programme must focus on delivering new, non-animal tools, and European chemicals regulations must enable the fullest use of these new tools - this will be crucial for sound and comprehensive protection from the ever-increasing number of chemicals that humans and the environment are exposed to.” 

We estimate that to date over 2.6 million animals have been used in tests under the EU’s existing chemicals regulatory framework. Proposed changes under the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability could see millions more animals used in new tests. Our scientists have been saying for years that tests on animals are not the best way to protect humans and the environment from the toxic effects of chemicals and other substances - PARC must not miss the opportunity to push chemicals regulatory science forward and leave outdated, cruel animal tests behind. 

The end animal testing European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calls upon the European Commission to ensure that human health and the environment are protected by managing chemicals without the addition of new animal testing requirements. 

Help us to transform European chemicals regulations NOW and end animal testing by signing the ECI.