Following the European Commission's Communication published in response to the European Citizens' Initiative "Stop Vivisection", the JRC's Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EURL ECVAM) is conducting a public survey to solicit input from individuals and organisations to identify all types of knowledge sources that might be relevant for Replacing, Reducing or Refining (the '3Rs') the use of animals for scientific purposes.

Advances in cell culture techniques and the establishment of in vitro test systems in research need to be accompanied by approaches to standardize
processes and documentation. The "Bologna Statement on Good Cell Culture Practice" in 1999 prompted the ECVAM Task Force on Good Cell Culture
Practice (GCCP) to produce two seminal guidance documents. Additional refinements were introduced in 2011.

In the following two years, the stem cell technology center "Center for Regenerative Engineering" (CARE) will be built in Munich. According to media reports, the Bavarian Economics Minister Ilse Aigner has pledged 15 million euros start-up funding to the stem cell researcher Prof. Hans Schöler to build up the Translation Centre. 

Last year, the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has launched a research initiative with the goal to initiate a new research collaboration to practically implement the in vitro eye irritation tests. Since safety assessments of chemicals will be based merely on in vitro data over the coming years, there is an urgent need to develop reliable in vitro testing strategies.