"EUROECOTOX is a Coordination Action which aims at supporting and accelerating the development and use of alternative ecotoxicology methods and strategies in Europe in order to reduce or replace the use of laboratory animals, particularly those used for regulatory testing. For this, a network will be created (EUROECOTOX network) formed by European R&D groups from universities, public research institutions, animal welfare organizations, specialized ecotoxicological laboratories, industry and other stakeholders, developing alternative test methods.EUROECOTOX network will promote the cooperation between research centres, industry and other stakeholders in Europe devoted to the R&D and application of alternative ecotoxicity methods. It will aim at the integration of efforts and the exchange of knowledge, data and expertise between partners to accelerate the R&D, and validation of new methods. Planned activities includes: Mapping of European research capacities on alternative ecotoxicological test methods, identification of the rate-limiting steps to reduce or replace the use of animals, identification and promotion of new alternative methods, recommendations for future research, promotion of the dialogue with validation agencies and other coordination and networking activities. Elaboration of different documents and publications and launching a dedicated website is also planned. A final Conference open to all the stakeholders, will be organized to disseminate the results. Networking with ongoing activities of other European projects supporting R&D on alternative methods and with other relevant international, European and national R&D and initiatives is also expected.This Coordination Action will be carried out over two years by a consortium composed of eight partners with complementary background, but the EUROECOTOX network is expected to last over a longer term."