Upholding the EU's Commitment to 'Animal Testing as a Last Resort' Under REACH Requires a Paradigm Shift in How We Assess Chemical Safety to Close the Gap Between Regulatory Testing and Modern Safety Science
Upholding the EU's Commitment to 'Animal Testing as a Last Resort' Under REACH Requires a Paradigm Shift in How We Assess Chemical Safety to Close the Gap Between Regulatory Testing and Modern Safety Science
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DOI：
10.1177/02611929211040824
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发表时间：
2021-07-01
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Westmoreland, Carl
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Fentem, Julia;Malcomber, Ian;Westmoreland, Carl
尽管过去 15 年非动物安全科学取得了进步，但 REACH 规定的化学品测试中使用动物的情况仍在持续增加。现代科学技术的应用以及“下一代”证据权重评估方法的使用，已纳入欧盟关于确定化妆品和食品以及这些产品所用成分安全性的指南中。然而，化学品的监管却并非如此。根据新的化学品可持续发展战略，人类健康和环境保护领域的思想领袖呼吁欧盟委员会迅速接受现代和创新的非动物安全科学的好处，取代过时的动物测试，如果欧盟要在欧洲绿色协议转型变革雄心下成为安全和可持续创新的领导者。欧盟委员会还需要通过提供更灵活、基于科学和一致的监管框架来确保化学品安全，支持整合不同来源的数据，从而使公司能够履行仅将动物测试作为最后手段的法律义务。我们正处于缩小监管化学品测试与现代安全科学之间差距的转折点。现在是时候让政策制定者、科学家、监管机构和律师齐心协力，引领实现欧盟公民想要的东西所需的范式转变——即安全和可持续的化学品和产品，而无需诉诸动物测试。
Animal use for testing chemicals under REACH continues to increase, despite advances in non-animal safety science during the past 15 years. The application of modern science and technology, and the use of 'next generation' weight-of-evidence assessment approaches, are embedded in EU guidance for establishing the safety of cosmetics and foods - and of the ingredients used in these products. However, this is still not the case for the regulation of chemicals. Under the new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, thought leaders in human health and environmental protection are calling on the European Commission to quickly embrace the benefits of modern and innovative non-animal safety science, in place of outdated animal testing, if the EU is to be a leader in safe and sustainable innovation under the European Green Deal transformational change ambitions. The European Commission also needs to enable companies to meet their legal obligation to only conduct animal testing as a last resort, by providing a more flexible, science-based and consistent regulatory framework for assuring chemical safety, which supports the integration of data from different sources. We are at a tipping point for closing the gap between regulatory chemicals testing and modern safety science. It is time to join forces, across policy makers, scientists, regulators and lawyers, to lead the paradigm shift needed to deliver what EU citizens want - namely, chemicals and products that are safe and sustainable, without resorting to animal testing.