On 25 October, ASPIS cluster members gathered at a pivotal European Commission workshop dedicated to progressing toward a future of chemical safety assessment without the need for animal testing.
This was the second European Commission (EC) workshop on the Roadmap towards phasing out animal testing in chemical safety assessments, held online and in Brussels. This Roadmap initiative is part of the Commission’s response to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), “Save Cruelty-Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing.” The Commission welcomed ECI and is firmly committed to developing this Roadmap, which will set out specific actions and key milestones toward an animal-free regulatory framework.
The workshop provided an essential platform for dialogue among Member States and stakeholders, underscoring recent advancements. Attendees discussed vital elements, including the development, validation, and implementation of non-animal methods, and explored ways to integrate these methods across existing chemical legislation.
Representatives from ASPIS’s three projects – RISK-HUNT3R, ONTOX, and PrecisionTox – shared updates on their innovative contributions, highlighting how these efforts support the Commission’s Roadmap.
Bob van de Water, RISK-HUNT3R coordinator (Leiden University), introduced ASPIS’s mission and vision for a Next-Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) framework rooted in new approach methodologies (NAMs). Barira Islam (RISK-HUNT3R, Certara) presented a case study demonstrating how in silico and in vitro methods, alongside physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modelling, can effectively assess risks associated with chemicals that produce active metabolites. In a session dedicated to NAMs, Sylvia Escher (RISK-HUNT3R, Fraunhofer ITEM) provided an update on the ASPA Workflow – ASPIS’s innovative Safety Profiling Algorithm. Ullrika Sahlin (RISK-HUNT3R, Lund University) delineated the uncertainty framework for NGRA.
Critical contributors to these discussions included Mathieu Vinken (ONTOX coordinator, Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Mirjam Luijten (RISK-HUNT3R, RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), Ullrika Sahlin (RISK-HUNT3R, Lund University), Martijn Moné (RISK-HUNT3R, Leiden University), Barira Islam (RISK-HUNT3R, Certara), and Leonie Mueller (PrecisionTox, Altertox Academy).
As explained Mathieu Vinken, ONTOX coordinator and ASPIS cluster chair for 2024-2026:
“The meeting showed again the importance of 3I (interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international) collaboration for full implementation of the 3Rs. ASPIS, and therefore ONTOX, sets an excellent example in this respect. By joining forces between the 3 consortia, a major contribution to the replacement of animal testing in the safety evaluation of chemicals is provided.”
In closing, the workshop reinforced the collaborative momentum driving NGRA and NAM-based risk assessments forward, paving the way for further progress towards animal-free safety evaluations.
The European Commission aims to release the final Roadmap by the first quarter of 2026, outlining key milestones and essential steps for transitioning to animal-free chemical legislation.
