Replace Animal Tests: the RAT list
10 animal tests that should be replaced
Despite the acceptance by the European Union of replacement non-animal methods, these ten animal tests are STILL being carried out in Europe.
We have compiled this updated RAT List to highlight animal testing that could stop NOW in the EU.
Ending these ten tests could save the lives of three quarters of a million animals every year in Europe alone.
Over the last 30 years, there have been significant developments in the replacement of tests on animals for regulatory purposes. Non-animal methods have been developed that can now replace wholly, or in part, a number of animal tests across several product sectors.
However, our experience has been that actually replacing the animal tests takes much longer than it should. This is unacceptable. In recent years, alternatives to animal tests including skin irritation, skin sensitisation and various batch safety tests have taken years to be completely accepted and, in many cases, the animal tests are still being conducted to meet legal requirements.
This needs to stop NOW in the interests of animals and better science!
Not only are non-animal methods usually cheaper, faster and more accurate than the animal tests they replace, but EU laws on animal experiments demand that countries do not authorise the conduct of an animal test if another method or testing strategy for obtaining the result sought, not entailing the use of a live animal, is recognised under EU rules. In many cases, the problem lies with lack of enforcement by the authorities and the absence of a joined-up approach to acceptance of non-animal tests around the world.







Notes: Numbers are the number of tests (not animals), taken from the official EU statistics for the year 2017 unless indicated by * (estimate available upon request) Total number of tests = 762,424