The use of genetically altered animals has become routine within biomedical and pharmaceutical research. However, a number of serious ethical, welfare and safety concerns arise from the creation and use of genetically altered animals.

Eurogroup for Animals is opposed to the use of animals in science, testing and education which causes animals pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm.

In its response to the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Save cruelty-free cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without animal testing’, the European Commission proposed a European Research Area policy action to reduce animal use in research and regulatory testing. This action aims to mobilise Member States to streamline their national and regional policies to reduce the use of animals in research and testing, while accelerating the development, validation and uptake of non-animal methods.

Achieving the goal to phase-out the use of animals in science requires the active involvement of a substantial number of stakeholders operating at Member State level. These actors include national/regional regulatory agencies, ministries, industry, other funding bodies, academia and ethics committees. This working document provides examples of actions that can be taken jointly by Member States to accelerate the transition towards medical science and regulatory testing without the use of animals.

This briefing has been prepared on behalf of five animal protection NGOs campaigning at EU level to end animal testing (Cruelty Free Europe, Eurogroup for Animals, the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments, Humane Society International/Europe and PETA), in follow-up to the successful European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing’ [1], which was declared valid on 25th January 2023 with 1,217,916 signatures and promoted by over 100 national organisations.

This Position Paper reflects the key elements that Eurogroup for Animals would like to see included in a European wide strategy for the transition to non-animal science.