The European Union (EU) Parliament voted unanimously on January
15 to ban the testing of cosmetics on animals as well as the
sale and import of new cosmetics tested on animals.
After months of disagreement, the proposals were agreed upon
last year by a Conciliation Committee comprising
representatives from the European Parliament and the Council of
Ministers (from all 15 member states of the EU). The parliament
has now given them its stamp of approval, but the full Council
of Ministers must also vote before the proposals become EU
law.
Once the proposals become law, the EU ban on the animal
testing of cosmetics won't take effect until 2009. The sales
ban is split into two parts, and has an even longer delay. The
first part pertains to 11 animal-test areas and will come into
force in 2009 regardless of the development of non-animal
replacement tests. The final part of the sales ban pertains to
the remaining three animal-test areas (reproductive toxicity,
toxicokinetics and repeat dose toxicity) and will not take
effect until 2013.
The final part of the sales ban is contingent on the
development of non-animal tests, a worrisome loophole for
animal protectionists in the EU. Animal protectionists are
concerned that the loophole may allow for the final sales ban
to be delayed even further and cosmetics animal tests to be
conducted beyond 2013.
Wendy Higgins, Campaigns Director for the London-based
British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), stated
that the "'get out clause' potentially allows industry to
side-step a total sales ban by claiming that insufficient
non-animal tests are available."
Sources: BUAV; CNN.com (January 15, 2002); European
Parliament website; Bureau of National Affairs'
International Trade Reporter
