Animal testing is a big subject of discussion both among the consumers and among cosmetics manufacturers. As you may know, animal testing has been banned in the EU. Let’s see some more details about this.
The ban on animal testing has already been announced in the 7th Amendment of the Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC. Animal tests have been prohibited on finished cosmetic products and on cosmetic ingredients (testing ban). Furthermore, the sales of finished cosmetic products and ingredients included in cosmetic products, which were tested on animals, have been prohibited (marketing ban).
The prohibition is also extended to all beauty and hygiene products tested on animals outside the EU, which may not be sold inside the EU.
Application dates for the ban of animal testing are as following:
The ban on animal testing has already been announced in the 7th Amendment of the Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC. Animal tests have been prohibited on finished cosmetic products and on cosmetic ingredients (testing ban). Furthermore, the sales of finished cosmetic products and ingredients included in cosmetic products, which were tested on animals, have been prohibited (marketing ban).
The prohibition is also extended to all beauty and hygiene products tested on animals outside the EU, which may not be sold inside the EU.
Application dates for the ban of animal testing are as following:
- 11th September 2004: Prohibition of testing of finished products on animals.
- 11th March 2009: Prohibition of testing of ingredients or combination of ingredients on animals.
- 11th March 2009: Marketing ban (ban of sales) for all human health effects with the exception of repeated-dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics. For these specific health effects the marketing ban will apply step by step when alternative methods are validated and adopted.
- 11th March 2013: Total marketing ban, irrespective of the availability of alternative non-animal tests.