EU Ban on Animal Tested Cosmetics

Ms. Koi

Hi there!
I posted this in the cruelty free make up forum but thought I would post it here as well so more people might see! I'm so excited!!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21740745
Here is a copy of the content from the BBC:

A complete ban on the sale of cosmetics developed through animal testing has taken effect in the EU.

The ban applies to all new cosmetics and their ingredients sold in the EU, regardless of where in the world testing on animals was carried out.

The 27 EU countries have had a ban on such tests in place since 2009. But the EU Commission is now asking the EU's trading partners to do the same.

Animal rights lobbyists said EU officials had "listened to the people".

The anti-vivisection group BUAV and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) said they had spent more than 20 years campaigning on the issue and had enlisted celebrities including Sir Paul McCartney, Morrissey and Sienna Miller to their cause. They congratulated the EU Commission for putting the ban into effect.

But BUAV says many countries in the world still test on animals for cosmetics and the group is now pressing for a global ban.

Mice and rats are used for more than half of all lab animal tests carried out in the EU.

Despite the EU's 2009 ban, cosmetics firms were allowed to continue testing on animals for the most complex human health effects, such as toxicity which might lead to cancer. However, those tests now come under the ban too.

The EU Commission says it is working with industry to develop more alternatives to animal testing, and that it allocated 238m euros (£208m; $310m) in 2007-2011 for such research.

Cosmetics firms are concerned that the ban could put Europe at a competitive disadvantage in a global market.

Cosmetics Europe chief Bertil Heerink, quoted by the Associated Press news agency, said that "by implementing the ban at this time, the European Union is jeopardising the industry's ability to innovate".

Shenshen

Oh, this is fantastic news.
I'm very happy that the ban not only covers the products themselves, but the ingredients as well.
I've been buying products from companies which explicitly state that they won't test on animals, and will not use ingredients tested on animals after a certain cut-off date, but I'm happy to hear that I will not need to trail the new for hours to find some of the information and that I'll be able to buy more mainstream and easier on the pocket products now.

Thanks for sharing this.

GoldCobra

It's great news alright, interesting to see how it is enforced though. I'm sure there will be loopholes.

Breezer

My understanding is that this only applies to new products, and existing products that were tested on animals will continue to be sold. I guess it makes sense economically but unfortunately we'll still have to shop around.

Tar.Aldarion

Breezer wrote: »

My understanding is that this only applies to new products, and existing products that were tested on animals will continue to be sold. I guess it makes sense economically but unfortunately we'll still have to shop around.

Even if that's the case, cosmetics always moves on to their new and improved version, so they will fade away. Great news all in all, not just Ireland but a continent. I was passing lush today and saw their no animal testing stance, thinking, well now everybody is going to have to do that.

Weyhey

Great news indeed. Hopefully there will be no loopholes and this will be another step in the right direction.