Source: AFP
After a 30 year campaign to stop animal testing the EU has passed a new regulation to ban the sale of cosmetics which have been tested on animals.
The EU banned some cosmetic products tested on animals in 2009, but left exemptions for several tests, which will now stop. The ban includes all products no matter where the products origininated.
The European Commission has “thoroughly assessed the impacts of the marketing ban and considers that there are overriding reasons to implement it,” a statement said.
EU Health Commissioner Tonia Borg said Brussels would continue “supporting the development of alternative methods and to engage with third countries to follow our European approach”.
I've just added my voice! Support a ban on animal testing for cosmetics!! http://t.co/l0IjuMKCDS
— Charlene (@MsCharlieW) March 12, 2013
The Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido said earlier this month, it was stopping animal-tested products, except in certain circumstances where there is no alternative to prove the products safety.
“Our business partners that supply material to us will not rely on animal testing while we will no longer outsource such testing to outside labs,” a Shiseido spokesperson said.
Shiseido said it could ensure the safety of its products by using other methods such as data from previous experiments, volunteers and other means of testing.
Starting today, cosmetics sold in the EU can no longer be tested on animals! Let's celebrate! http://t.co/Dtld0wIO2q xx
— caroline flack (@carolineflack1) March 11, 2013
Activists have been protesting and campaigning against animal testing since the eighties and many will see the move as too late.
Main photo credit: Wikimedia commons
