Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have called on the EU to protect a ban on animal testing for cosmetics amid a revision of major rules.
A consultation of The Cosmetics Product Regulation (CPR) is currently underway and the main EU chemicals law, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), is set to be revised.
Nine MEPs have called on EU leaders to protect the ban currently in place on animal testing for cosmetics, as well as strengthen it further.
The EU should also promote cruelty-free scientific innovation, by taking steps to boost the development and regulatory acceptance of non-animal resting methods, the letter said.
Plus, the politicians are asking the EU to ensure the forthcoming Commission roadmap towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessment is “ambitious, actionable, and delivers demonstrable change”.
“This roadmap should serve as a launch pad for a broader EU strategy to enable the phase-out [of] animal testing across all areas of science, positioning Europe as a global leader in humane, human-relevant innovation,” the letter read.
Signatories to the letter include:
- Lynn Boylan (The Left, Ireland)
- Niels Fuglsang (S&D, Denmark)
- Anja Hazekamp (The Left, Netherlands)
- Pär Holmgren (Greens/EFA, Sweden)
- Alice Kuhnke (Greens/EFA, Sweden)
- Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, Sweden)
- Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg)
- Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, Finland)
- Majdouline Sbai (Greens/EFA, France)
The letter is addressed to Stéphane Séjourné, the Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, Olivér Várhelyi, the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, and Jessika Roswall, the Commissioner for Environment, Water and Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy.
Organised by Cruelty Free Europe to mark European Day for Humane Science (22 September), 14 NGOs have also signed the letter.
They include:
- Carme Méndez, President, Associació Defensa Drets Animals (ADDA)
- Joh Vinding, CEO, Anima
- Heidi Kivekäs, Executive Director, Animalia
- Petya Altimirska, Chair of the Board, Campaigns and Activism for Animals in the Industry (CAAI)
- Michelle Thew, CEO, Cruelty Free Europe
- Adrie van Steijn, Diervriendelijk Nederland
- Ann De Greef, CEO, Global Action in the Interest of Animals (GAIA)
- Michela Kuan, Scientific Director, LAV Animal Free Research Area
- Anu Tensing, Board Member, MTÜ Loomus
- Stefan Dimitrov, Chairman of the Managing Board, Nevidimi Zhivotni (Invisible Animals)
- Muriel Arnal, President and Founder, One Voice
- Nora Mahmutovic, President, Organisation for Animal Rights and the Environment EVA
- Barbora Bartušková Večlová, Chairwoman, Svoboda Zvirat
- Ervin Nagy, President, Una Terra
“We are very concerned about what the European Commission has in mind for the revision of the Cosmetic Products Regulation,” said Dr Emma Grange, Cruelty Free Europe’s Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs.
“In our view, it is already not fit for purpose and the regulation must be strengthened, not weakened.”
In the EU, the existing Cosmetics Regulation outlaws animal testing for cosmetics purposes.
However, there is what Cruelty Free Europe describes as a "misalignment" between CPR and REACH regulations, which allows cosmetics products tested on animals under the latter.
Under REACH, animal testing is mandated for assessing the risk of certain chemicals in the workplace.
Animal rights group PETA called for the “loophole“ in legislation to be closed last month, and suspended its ‘Beauty Without Bunnies’ programme, which certifies when a brand does not conduct animal testing.
Now the MEPs and NGOs are calling for CPR legislation to make clear that the ban on animal testing takes precedence over REACH and other EU chemicals laws.
While the European Commission has committed to a roadmap to phase out animal testing for cosmetics purposes, this has failed to address the issue, says Cruelty Free Europe.
“In line with the Commission’s roadmap for transition away from animal testing, innovation within EU industry must be supported by investing in humane, modern non-animal testing methods delivering a high level of protection for human health and the environment,” said Grange.
“In accord with the call from the European Citizens’ Initiative to Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics, and the wishes of Members of the European Parliament, not only does the ban need to be protected, it needs to be improved to finally deliver what EU legislators promised – the end of testing cosmetics and their ingredients on animals, regardless of which legislation applies.
“This clearly aligns with the European Commission’s stated objective to phase out animal testing in the European Union, and reflects its broad commitment to promoting non-animal methods and advancing innovative and human-relevant science across all sectors.
“We welcome the roadmap to end animal testing for all chemical safety assessments, but changes to legislation must not erode important progress already made.
“We believed that animal testing for cosmetics would become a thing of the past, and demand that change is made now so that Europe evolves past the cruel and outdated use of animals.”