EU ban on animal-tested cosmetics goes into force today

Testing finished cosmetic products has been banned in Europe since 2004 and a further ban on ingredients testing was introduced in 2009.

But new regulations now place a Europe-wide ban on the sale of cosmetics if they have been tested on animals anywhere in the world.

Cosmetics companies had lobbied for an extension of the deadline for some tests that still have no validated animal-free alternative, but the EU refused to allow more time.

A statement issued in Brussels today said: "For the most complex tests the marketing ban deadline was extended to 11 March 2013. Companies could still carry out the tests outside the Union for cosmetic purposes and rely on the results for the safety assessment in the Union. This is not possible any more after 11 March 2013."

The European Cosmetics and Toiletries industry is worth more than EUR 70 billion; this represents almost half of the global market for cosmetics. An estimated 184,000 people are directly employed by the cosmetics industry in the Union.

Archived March 28, 2013