This paper summarises key activities initiated and the progress achieved between April 1993 and November 2002, in promoting the Three Rs in one of ECVAM's priority areas--the production and quality control of biologicals. These have included organising nine key workshops, financially supporting and/or participating in a number of prevalidation and/or validation studies, financial contributions and sponsorship to relevant international workshops, symposia and conferences, and financial support to the compilation of manuals, expert reports and training in test methods.