"The aim of this discussion paper is to provide background information on widely accepted approaches for reducing animal testing and to initiate a multi-stakeholder discussion on the planning of future activities designed to apply these approaches in order to reduce animal testing under REACH. It is emphasised that the best way forward will be to develop “intelligent” testing strategies (ITS) for assessing the hazard and risk linked to regulatory endpoints, integrating multiple elements including in vitro tests, chemical categories (including read-across), in silico approaches (computational methods including QSARs), and exposure considerations. The strategies will need to be developed, assessed and refined in an iterative manner. Furthermore, the future development and refinement of all component methods and models should be driven by the gaps in the strategies. It is therefore not possible to anticipate in detail where future work will need to be focussed. However, it is clear that the benefits of integrating the use of all approaches will need to be continuously explored."

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