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ESTAF - EURL ECVAM Stakeholder Forum

The EURL ECVAM Stakeholder Forum (ESTAF) is our instrument for ensuring close dialogue is maintained with our non-governmental stakeholders. This includes parties from industry, academia and civil society organisations.

The Role of ESTAF

ESTAF is a forum for stakeholders to voice opinion that is relevant to the ongoing mission of EURL ECVAM. The following are examples of ESTAF's activities:

  • To provide a forum for stakeholder advocacy and the communication of stakeholder interests (e.g. economical, societal, sectorial interests)
  • To provide upstream input on the relevance and applicability of proposed test methods and testing strategies from a user's perspective
  • Communication of new activities, trends, scientific and technical issues, etc.
  • Discussion about strategic and practical aspects of test method development, optimisation, validation and use
  • To serve as a collaborative platform to support and participate in joint ESTAF and EURL ECVAM activities
  • Commenting on draft EURL ECVAM Recommendations following ESAC peer review of validation studies

Representation on the ESTAF

EURL ECVAM Stakeholder Forum (ESTAF) - Open invitation to submit expressions of interest

If selected by EURL ECVAM, stakeholder organisations fulfilling the eligibility criteria may be invited to assign a representative to the ESTAF. We do reserve the right to select from among eligible stakeholder organisations to ensure that the makeup of the forum is most suitable for achieving the aims of ESTAF.

Although representatives are formally participating on behalf of their organisation and not on the basis of their personal qualifications, representatives should preferably have the necessary scientific and technical expertise to adequately support ESTAF and its role.

Representatives should be fluent in English, the working language of ESTAF.

To ensure transparency of the type of advocacy present on ESTAF, stakeholder organisations represented on the ESTAF need to declare their specific (vested) interests and how they conduct advocacy for their stake.

Current Members of ESTAF

Industry

  • A.I.S.E. (The international Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products)
  • CEFIC (European Chemical Industry Council)
  • COSMETICS EUROPE
  • ECETOC (European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals)
  • EFfCI (European Federation for Cosmetic Ingredients)
  • EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations)
  • IVTIP (In vitro Testing Industrial Platform)
  • IFRA (International Fragrance Association)

Research

  • AFABILITY
  • ESTIV (European Society for Toxicology in vitro)
  • EUROTOX (Federation of European Toxicologists and European Societies of Toxicology)
  • European Primate Network
  • ASCCT (American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology)

Civil Society (Animal Welfare)

  • ADI (Animal Defenders International)
  • ECEAE (European Coalition to End Animal Experiments)
  • Eurogroup for Animals
  • Humane Society International / Europe
  • PETA Science Consortium International
  • EUSAAT (European Society for Alternatives to Animal Testing)
  • Movimento Antispecista
  • Cruelty Free Europe

Others

  • ECOPA (European Consensus Platform for Alternatives)
  • NCAEI (National Council for Animal Experimentation Israel)
  • CAAT Europe (Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing Europe)

Meetings and Operation

  • ESTAF will typically meet once a year
  • Working language will be English
  • Requests, input and collaborative activities will be addressed also through a written procedure and using an internet-based forum for information exchange
  • ESTAF may at any point suggest additional stakeholders for participation
  • The first meeting was held on 27 May 2011
  • Subsequent meetings with agendas and summary records are available below

The meetings will be organised by the EC, JRC-EURL ECVAM who will carry the cost of the meeting venue. However, travel, hotel costs and subsistence for attending the meetings will have to be carried by the stakeholder organisation.

List of Meetings and Summary Records