The primary objective of the OECD Principles of GLP is to ensure the generation of high quality and reliable test data from non-clinical studies related to the safety of chemicals in the framework of harmonising testing procedures for the Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD).

The OECD Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD) system saves governments and chemical producers millions of dollars every year by allowing the results of a variety of safety tests done on chemicals and chemical products such as industrial chemicals and pesticides to be shared across the OECD.

This agreement requires that testing be carried out using OECD standards for test methods (OECD Test Guidelines) or equivalent and for data quality (OECD Principles of Good Laboratory Practice - GLP).

Under this agreement data generated by a facility that is in an OECD Member country's GLP compliance monitoring program (and those of non-members countries' recognised by the OECD Working Group on GLP) must be accepted in other Member countries for the purpose of assessment and other uses relating to the protection of people and the environment.