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EU
finally bans cosmetic animal testing
The results of a recent EU Conciliation Committee vote between
the European
Parliament and the Council of Ministers, reveal that Europe
will at last ban cosmetics animal testing. But leading animal
rights campaigners the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection
(BUAV) say the vote doesn't go far enough to protect lab animals.
The vote marks the end of a thirteen-year struggle by MEPs to
end cosmetics
animal testing, but their efforts have been hampered throughout
by aggressive industry lobbying and fierce opposition by the
Council of Ministers, including the UK government which has
not supported an outright testing ban.
The Conciliation Committee has voted for:1. A complete animal
testing ban six years from entry into force (around 2009)
2. A sale ban ten years from entry into force (around 2013)
but with the possibility of the sale ban being delayed if insufficient
non-animal tests have been developed.
3. For the sale bans to come into force, non-animal tests must
be validated at Community rather than OECD level (but with due
regard to the OECD) which will be a quicker route to alternatives
being accepted.
4. The outstanding issue of labeling will be discussed further
through written triologue (Rapporteur, Minister, Commission).
Whilst animal campaigners the British Union for the Abolition
of Vivisection
(BUAV) has today welcomed the long-awaited EU test ban, it warned
that without a total and immediate ban on the sale of animal
tested cosmetics, animal testing will simply shift to non-EU
countries. It accused the cosmetics industry of sabotaging the
best hope of protection lab animals had against cruel tests
for products like shampoo and lipstick.
Wendy Higgins, BUAV Campaigns Director said:
"This has been an extremely long and hard battle to convince
Europe to finally stop killing animals in cosmetics tests. But
without a total & immediate sale ban, animals will continue
to die outside Europe so that the products can be sold inside
Europe. All that will achieve is to leave the blood on someone
else's hands but the suffering will go on. It is utterly shameful
that the cosmetics industry and many EU governments including
the UK have fought so hard against an outright and immediate
ban, and it is now for all MEPs to decide whether they will
accept or reject this result."
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