On June 1, 2026, the European Commission published its long-awaited Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments, establishing a strategic framework to achieve this long-term policy goal. This comprehensive plan comprises two core documents: a Communication (C(2026)3497) and a 253-page accompanying staff working document (SWD(2026)144). Spanning 15 legislative domains relevant to chemical safety, the roadmap provides over 30 concrete, endpoint-by-endpoint recommendations categorized into short-, medium-, and long-term horizons rather than specific dates. For human health safety assessments, these recommendations cover areas such as acute, repeated-dose, and reproductive toxicity, alongside genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, developmental neurotoxicity, and endocrine disruption. For environmental safety, focus areas include acute aquatic and chronic fish toxicity, bioaccumulation, endocrine disruption, and longer-term, non-animal environmental Next-Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) across various taxa.
Having been actively engaged in the development of this roadmap alongside competent authorities, industry partners, and relevant stakeholders, the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) is now committed to contributing to its implementation. IFRA will drive this transition through close collaboration at multiple levels, including participation in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Collaborative Platform on Alternatives to Animal Testing (CP-AAT) and cross-sectoral initiatives within the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA). These ongoing efforts are directly supported by a dedicated IFRA working group composed of expert representatives from member companies within the field.
