Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH)

PAC acknowledges that the objectives of the new legislation are to promote the safe use of chemicals and improve the protection of human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals. The new legislation also aims to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of the European chemical industry, increase transparency, and promote non-animal testing. PAC supports the objectives of REACH.

However, if left unchanged PAC remains concerned that the proposals will result in the use of millions of animals in testing. It is unacceptable that the current proposal fails to prevent duplicate testing by adequately ensuring that all existing animal data are made available and shared, as well as other relevant data that will prevent animal testing. Furthermore, the Commission proposal as it stands is likely to result in a large programme of testing chemicals on animals that will not necessarily generate information that is relevant for the protection of human health and the environment. It fails to introduce a flexible system with step-by-step testing strategies aimed at identifying and adapting the information needs for a given substance, and collecting appropriate data with non-animal test methods.