Parliament and Council agree on phasing out of animal experiments for cosmetics
At a second conciliation meeting between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers on 6 and 7 November, an agreement was reached which calls for the phasing out of the majority of experiments testing cosmetics on animals within six years. The agreement calls for animal tests, for which possible alternatives appear in sight, to be phased out over this period. This covers 11 out of 14 possible tests. For the remaining three tests, a 10 year deadline, with a potential two year extension, will be applied. 'This is a significant victory for the European Parliament and for my constituents who want to see an end to animal testing,' said UK MEP John Bowis, whose proposal was the basis of the final agreement. 'This should lead to the end of animal testing in the EU for cosmetics as we know it. This deal represents the best of both worlds, promising to protect people's health whilst bringing an end to testing on animals.' The agreement forms the seventh amendment to the cosmetics directive. The objective is to ban the testing of cosmetic products and ingredients used in cosmetic products on animals in the EU, and to ban the marketing of cosmetic products or ingredients used in cosmetic products where the product or the ingredients have been tested on animals. The amended directive also implies restrictions within other areas. Clear limits are defined for the use of carcinogenic and mutagenic substances, as well as substances harmful to reproduction. The new directive also aims to improve animal welfare without jeopardising consumer safety and the protection of human health, whilst enabling the Community to respect its international obligations. It is part of a broader initiative intended to ensure optimal protection for animals used for experimental purposes by promoting the development of alternative testing methods through coordination of all available scientific resources, and ensuring that alternative methods are effectively used when they exist and are scientifically validated. 'It is of great importance to me that we can now see an end to animal testing of cosmetic products,' said Danish Minister for the Environment, Hans Christian Schmidt, after the meeting. 'I am pleased that we were able to solve the problem during the Danish EU Presidency. Both Parliament and Member States should be commended for their flexibility.'
Kraje
Denmark