The European Commission has unveiled a sweeping roadmap to phase out animal testing in chemical safety assessments, marking a major policy push toward non-animal scientific methods.

 

The plan sets out concrete steps to accelerate the shift while maintaining what officials describe as a “high level of protection for human and animal health and the environment.”

 

The initiative strengthens the EU’s existing REACH chemicals framework and delivers on commitments under the Chemicals Action Plan presented in July 2025. 

 

It lays out 22 actions across three pillars, targeting a gradual replacement of animal testing across 15 areas — including industrial and consumer chemicals, pesticides and biocides, pharmaceuticals, and food and feed additives. The roadmap also introduces monitoring indicators to track progress as the transition unfolds.

 

At its core, the first pillar is focused on driving immediate change. It aims to speed up the development and adoption of non-animal testing methods and includes more than 30 targeted recommendations designed to “replace, reduce or refine animal testing for human health and environmental safety assessments.”

 

The second pillar is geared toward keeping Europe at the forefront of scientific innovation. It calls for strengthening research and industry ecosystems, including the use of artificial intelligence and big data to develop and validate alternative testing methods.

 

The third pillar extends the effort beyond EU borders, promoting coordination among regulators and stakeholders across Europe and internationally to ensure consistent implementation and collaboration.

 

The Commission will begin rolling out the roadmap immediately, working with member states, EU agencies, and stakeholders. A high-level review conference is planned for 2029 to assess progress and evaluate how widely non-animal approaches have been adopted across EU law, including REACH.

 

The roadmap follows growing pressure for reform, including a 2023 European citizens’ initiative, “Save Cruelty-Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe Without Animal Testing,” which pushed the Commission to act. 

 

While animal testing still underpins much of chemical safety assessment, the EU says emerging alternative methods are increasingly enabling faster, more efficient, and more innovative approaches.