With a long history of campaigning against animal experimentation – we started life over 100 years ago as the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Vivisection - OneKind is delighted to welcome today’s ban on the import and sale of new animal tested cosmetics in the EU.
From today, anyone who wishes to sell new cosmetic products and ingredients in the EU must not test them on animals anywhere in the world. The ban affects all cosmetics including toiletries and beauty products but not household products. However, consumers need to be aware that companies can still carry on testing on animals for cosmetics sold outside the EU.
There are also a number of outstanding issues with the EU’s Cosmetics Regulation text, which are yet to be clarified by the European Commission or, ultimately, the European Court. The term ‘cosmetic ingredient’ is yet to be clearly defined, the scope of the ban is still in question (for example whether it applies to environmental testing), and it is currently unclear whether ingredients that are animal tested to meet other requirements can be used.
In addition, it will be up to each EU country to enforce the ban, and many may not yet have the knowledge and resources to do so effectively.
There are also issues with the nature of the global market that many companies sell their products to. At present, before new products can go on sale in China, for example, they must be submitted for testing to the Chinese authorities, which normally involves a range of animal tests.
OneKind advises that when choosing cosmetics and toiletries, if in doubt, look for the BUAV 'Leaping Bunny’ logo. The Leaping Bunny, representing the Humane Cosmetics Standard, is a global standard and applies to all of the operations and sales of companies, not just those for the EU. BUAV only certify companies that have a policy not to test their products on animals, enabling consumers to reward those companies who do not use animal tests for any market. This makes it highly relevant for consumers who wish to shop with companies who have gone beyond the legal minimum. This in turn encourages the development of alternative methods.
Until a global ban is achieved, the Leaping Bunny remains the only real way for EU consumers to be confident in identifying companies which will not allow animal testing for cosmetic purposes to continue within their supply chain. The Humane Cosmetics Standard is clear, companies are audited for compliance, and consumers can be reassured that companies have gone beyond the legal minimum.
Similarly, outside the EU, the Leaping Bunny continues to be the only guarantee that animals have not been used to test cosmetics ingredients in the entire supply chain (after the company adopted its ‘no animal testing’ policy).
Nearly 500 companies are certified including Paul Mitchell, Neal’s Yard, Liz Earle, Urban Decay, and cosmetics made by high street retailers including Marks & Spencer, Superdrug, Argos, Sainsbury’s and The Co-operative. The full list can be found at www.GoCrueltyFree.org.
While there is still work to do, OneKind hails this long-awaited and hard-won day, and congratulates millions of animal welfare supporters throughout the EU, for helping to bring it about.