This is the report of the twenty-fifth of a series of workshops organised by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM). The workshop on the Current Status and Future Developments of Databases on Alternative Methods was held in Neubiberg, Germany, on 12–15 September 1996, under the co-chairmanship of Margot van der Kamp (Netherlands Centre Alternatives to Animal Use, Utrecht, The Netherlands) and Annett Janusch (ECVAM, Ispra, Italy). It was organised by Ms van der Kamp and Roman Kolar (Akademie für Tierschutz, Neubiberg, Germany). This ECVAM workshop was the first official meeting of experts who have been involved in the creation and maintenance of databases which contribute to the Three Rs (reduction, refinement, replacement) of Russell & Burch (2). The key objectives of the workshop were to bring together these experts to: a) review the current situation; b) identify the types of information needed which are not yet available from existing information services; c) discuss possibilities for cooperation and collaboration; and d) agree upon strategies for improving the dissemination of information on alternatives.