Overview

In October 2020, the European Commission adopted its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) – part of the European Union’s zero pollution ambition. The strategy’s goals are better protection of citizens and our environment from harmful chemicals and the promotion of safer and more sustainable chemicals. 

Giving its position on the strategy in July 2020, the European Parliament emphasised the importance of ensuring a high level of protection of human health, animal health and the environment; particular regard was given to the minimisation of exposure to hazardous chemicals, application of the precautionary principle, effective protection of workers, preservation and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity, and the fostering of innovation in sustainable chemicals – all of which whilst minimising the use of animal testing.

We know that Europe’s citizens want to see an end to animal testing, signing a European Citizens’ Initiative of over one million signatures expressing that demand – the second on this issue. Polling carried out in 2020 showed that nearly three quarters (72%) of adults in EU member states agree that the EU should set binding targets and deadlines to phase out testing on animals, and seven in ten (70%) adults in EU member states agree that enabling the full replacement of all forms of animal testing with non-animal testing methods should be a priority for the EU.

Yet worryingly, changes to key EU chemicals legislation under the CSS look set to trigger a huge increase in animal testing with questionable chances of success for better protection for human health and the environment – an approach that follows the misguided notion that there must always be a trade-off between protecting against harmful chemicals and avoiding animal testing. 

This Cruelty Free Europe webinar sets out to bring different sectors together to show how we can plot a route to a toxic-free environment using animal-free testing and research.

 

The Cyber Security Summer Hub

Speakers

Ofelia Bercaru

 

Ofelia Bercaru

 

Director – Prioritisation and Regulation

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

Mathieu Flamini

 

Mathieu Flamini

 

CEO and Co-founder

 

GF Biochemicals

Gavin Maxwell

 

Gavin Maxwell 

 

Co-Chair

 European Partnerships for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EPAA)

anna head

 

Anna Lennquist


Senior Toxicologist

ChemSec

N Kleinstreuer Web

 

Nicole Kleinstreuer

 

NICEATM Director (Acting)

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIHS)

More speakers to be announced shortly.

Agenda

Note: All session timings below are in Central European Summer Time (CEST)

2022-10-27
2022-10-27
10:00 - 10:20
Opening Keynote: How do we create a system for regulating chemicals that allows for the fullest use of animal-free science now and in the future?
Opening Keynote: How do we create a system for regulating chemicals that allows for the fullest use of animal-free science now and in the future? image
Ofelia Bercaru
Director – Prioritisation and Regulation | European Chemicals Agency
10:20 - 11:30
Session one: Would no animal testing mean less protection from dangerous chemicals?

For decision-makers and regulators, protecting people and the environment is rightly a fundamental concern. It’s often argued that a system based on non-animal methods will mean accepting lower levels of protection from dangerous chemicals. Animal tests are old science – crude, misleading and without the rigorous validation of non-animal methods. An accelerated and more complete transition to non-animal methods is indispensable for faster characterisation and regulation of chemicals and the facilitation of safe and sustainable innovation.

Session one: Would no animal testing mean less protection from dangerous chemicals? image
Gavin Maxwell
Co-Chair | European Partnerships for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EPAA)
Session one: Would no animal testing mean less protection from dangerous chemicals? image
Michelle Thew
Chief Executive | Cruelty Free International
Session one: Would no animal testing mean less protection from dangerous chemicals? image
Nicholas Ball
Product Safety Expertise | Dow Chemical Company
Session one: Would no animal testing mean less protection from dangerous chemicals? image
Emma Grange
Head of Science Policy & Regulation | Cruelty Free Europe
Session one: Would no animal testing mean less protection from dangerous chemicals? image
Nicole Kleinstreuer
NICEATM Director (Acting) | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Session one: Would no animal testing mean less protection from dangerous chemicals? image
Stefan Scheuer
Chief EU Policy Advocate | CHEM Trust
11:30 - 12:30
Session two: Getting to grips with endocrine disruptors – do we need non-animal approaches?

How we manage the risks posed by substances with endocrine disrupting properties is of great consequence. As the focus falls on the EU’s plans to change the way that chemicals with potential endocrine disrupting properties are regulated, those consequences for the animals used in testing look grave. But a tick-box approach that relies on animals is not the answer. What should we do instead?

Session two: Getting to grips with endocrine disruptors – do we need non-animal approaches? image
Erik Prochazka
Senior Science Adviser | Regulatory Toxicology, Cruelty Free Europe
Session two: Getting to grips with endocrine disruptors – do we need non-animal approaches? image
Martin Paparella
Toxicology and Regulation | Medical University Innsbruck
Session two: Getting to grips with endocrine disruptors – do we need non-animal approaches? image
Emily McIvor
Science Policy Advisor | Animal Protection
Session two: Getting to grips with endocrine disruptors – do we need non-animal approaches? image
Ellen Fritsche
Environmental Toxicology, IUF | Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine
12:30 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 15:15
Session three: Revising CLP and REACH so European chemicals regulation becomes animal-free – can we do it and how?

As the European Commission’s proposals for revising two of the main instruments comprising existing EU chemicals legislation, the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation and the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, embark on their legislative journey, we have an opportunity to ensure a system based on non-animal methods is built. What should that system look like and how do we get there?

Session three: Revising CLP and REACH so European chemicals regulation becomes animal-free – can we do it and how? image
Andrew Worth
Senior Scientific Officer | Joint Research Centre, European Commission
Session three: Revising CLP and REACH so European chemicals regulation becomes animal-free – can we do it and how? image
Anna Lennquist
Senior Toxicologist | ChemSec
Session three: Revising CLP and REACH so European chemicals regulation becomes animal-free – can we do it and how? image
Julia Fentem
R&D Vice President | Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC), Unilever
Session three: Revising CLP and REACH so European chemicals regulation becomes animal-free – can we do it and how? image
Emma Grange
Head of Science Policy & Regulation | Cruelty Free Europe
15:15 - 15:45
Closing Keynotes
Closing Keynotes image
Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga
Professor in Evidence-Based Transition to Animal-Free Innovations | Utrecht University
Closing Keynotes image
Mathieu Flamini
CEO and co-founder | GF Biochemicals
Select date to see events.

About Cruelty Free Europe

Cruelty Free Europe is a Brussels based network of animal protection groups working to bring animal testing to an end across Europe. With a presence at the heart of EU decision-making, Cruelty Free Europe campaigns to ensure that animals used in experiments in Europe are taken seriously on the European political agenda.

The power of Cruelty Free Europe lies in combining the expertise and focus of a central team of science and regulatory experts from Cruelty Free International with the national perspective, skills and energy of associate member groups across the countries of Europe.

Contact

For more information on any aspect of this event, please contact Forum Europe using any of the details below.

Charlene Bowditch
Director | Head of Event Management, Forum Europe
[email protected]
+44 (0) 2920 783 079