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EU
agrees to animal testing ban
The
European Union agreed late last week to ban the use of animals
for testing key cosmetic products, overcoming fierce French
resistance in a marathon twelve-hour session that ended years
of wrangling.
The compromise between Euro-MPs and EU governments was hailed
as a victory for animal rights, though it still allows firms
to feed toxins to mice, rabbits, and primates under certain
conditions for another 10 years if no other methods of testing
exist.
The law will stop animal testing of everything from perfume
to lipstick to shampoo under staggered deadlines by 2009. It
also prevents the marketing of products tested on animals outside
the EU, stopping firms from evading the rules by using laboratories
outside the EU.
Many tests can be done using chemicals, but cosmetics companies
are often unsure of the risk of cancer-causing carcinogens or
allergic side-effects until products have been tested on animals.
Halt abuse
Chris
Davies, MEP, the Liberal Democrats' consumer affairs spokesman,
said the deal would go a long way to halting the abuse of
animals for non-medical research.
She said: "It is a matter of moral conviction that we
should not make other creatures suffer for the sake of flattering
human vanity. Our bathroom shelves are already full of deodorants
and hair spray, so why do we need more that are tested on
animals?"
British officials said it was not clear whether the deal was
compatible with the EU's obligations under the World Trade
Organisation, which monitors whether states are using ethical
or safety arguments as a smokescreen for protectionism.
The European Parliament has been crusading for a ban for the
last decade but has been thwarted by the European Commission
and France, where many top cosmetics firms are based.
Observers present at the meeting said France held up the deal
until the early hours of Thursday, 7th November, insisting
that testing was "essential for public safety".
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