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Posted: 30/04/10
ECEAE attends ECHA meeting in Helsinki where promises to promote more alternatives are made
BUAV’s Scientific Coordinator Dr Katy Taylor attended the 11th Member State Committee meeting at ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) in Helsinki this week on behalf of the European Coalition to End Animals Experiments (ECEAE). She reported back on some positive signs that ECHA is listening to animal protection concerns and is planning to do more to tackle animal testing issues and transparency. In particular, the ECEAE is encouraged to hear that ECHA plans to hold two workshops on alternative methods towards the end of 2010, one for ECHA staff and committee members and one for industry.
On a less positive note, although ECHA is aware of the problem, it has yet still to decide on how to deal with confidentiality claims by chemical companies. Current inertia on this issue means that animal protection and environmental groups -and even industry themselves - cannot observe or comment properly on ECHA decisions.
Dr Katy Taylor says, “We are pleased to see that ECHA is making preparations to proactively discuss the technical issues of animal testing and confidentiality claims and has recognised that it needs to do more to promote non-animal alternatives to industry. We do however remain extremely concerned about the lack of urgency over dealing with confidentiality claims. This threatens the transparency that the legislators of REACH were so proud of.”
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