In Precedent-Setting Case, ECHA Board of Appeal Annul Animal Tests to Reflect Reduced Production Volume

In a precedent-setting case, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Board of Appeal has agreed with the PETA International Science Consortium Ltd. that ECHA must take into account substantial new information during the compliance check process and not be tied by arbitrary deadlines. Despite the appellants having correctly alerted ECHA to a reduction in production volume, ECHA maintained that it had no jurisdiction in which to accordingly reduce animal test requirements. Consequently, the Board ruled that ECHA must annul an in vivo genotoxicity test and a long-term fish test that would have involved the use of at least 500 animals. ECHA must now amend its process to fully engage with registrants and update its advice as needed to allow for new information to be taken into account even after a self-imposed administrative deadline. For more information about the case, click here.