OECD Test Guidelines Programme

Italian National Coordinator:
Gabriele Aquilina (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, National Center for Chemicals, Cosmetics and Consumer Protection)

The OECD Guidelines for the testing of chemicals (TGs) are a collection of the most relevant internationally agreed testing methods.

TGs are used by governments, industry and independent laboratories to assess the safety of chemical products. They are primarily used in regulatory safety testing and subsequent chemical notification and registration.

The set of Test Guidelines (TGs) is updated on a regular basis to keep pace with progress in science and countries’ regulatory needs.

This continuous revision activity encompasses three different actions:

• Updating of the existing TGs 
• Development of new TGs 
• Deletion of obsolete TGs

The Working Party of National Co-ordinators (WNT), constituted by the National Co-ordinators of OECD Member States and Commission of the European Union (EU), oversees the TGs’ revision process.

The National Co-ordinator represents at OECD the network of the national scientific experts and is their spokesperson at the WNT.

The WNT usually convenes annually in the OECD premises in Paris (since March 2020 the meeting are temporarily held via web, due to the Covid-19 emergency).

The proposals regarding the TGs (updating, revision or deletion) can be submitted by: 

• Member States / EU Commission
• International scientific community
• Industry
• Non-governmental organisations

anyway through the National Co-ordinator.
The WNT cooperates with the sub-bodies of the CBC. Moreover, the WNT works through specific working groups, constituted by national scientific experts, whose activity concerns the following areas:

• Ecotoxicology 
• Immunotoxicology 
• Endocrine disruptors
• Non-animal testing
• Microbicides
• Developmental neurotoxicology
• Toxicokinetics and Biotransformation
• Toxic effects on pollinators
• Genetic Toxicology
• MAD (Mutual Acceptance of Data)

Experimental data generated in accordance with OECD Test Guidelines and Principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) shall be accepted in other member countries for assessment purposes and other uses relating to the protection of human health and the environment (OECD Council decisions 1981, 1989, 1997).

This principle is valid not only in the OECD Member Countries but also in some non-member countries that are adherent to the MAD system: Argentina, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and Thailand.

MAD (Mutual Acceptance of Data)

Experimental data generated in accordance with OECD Test Guidelines and Principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) shall be accepted in other member countries for assessment purposes and other uses relating to the protection of human health and the environment (OECD Council decisions 1981, 1989, 1997).

This principle is valid not only in the OECD Member Countries but also in some non-member countries that are adherent to the MAD system: Argentina, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and Thailand.