The Cosmetics Regulation ban on animal testing

The BUAV, founder organisation of Cruelty Free International, and its partners at the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments have been instrumental in achieving a European ban on animal testing for cosmetic and toiletry products and ingredients. However, even now the ban has come into force (from 11 March 2013), the Leaping Bunny continues to be the only way consumers can be sure they are buying truly ‘cruelty-free’ beauty products.

The ban means that companies are no longer able to animal test new cosmetic products and ingredients on sale in the EU. However, companies can still carry on animal testing cosmetics outside the EU where these cosmetics are also sold outside the EU. There are a number of issues for companies selling their products on the global market. For example, at present, before new products can go on sale in China, they must be submitted for testing to the Chinese authorities, which normally involves a range of animal tests.  

The Leaping Bunny, however, is a global standard and applies to all of the operations and sales of companies, not just those for the EU. It is an explicit condition of Leaping Bunny certification that companies do not export cosmetic products to sell on the Chinese market unless they can demonstrate an official exemption to animal testing.

There are also a number of outstanding issues with the EU’s Cosmetics Regulation text, which are yet to be clarified.  Until full guidance is given, it is sadly likely that many companies that have not yet joined the Leaping Bunny programme may continue to use animal-tested ingredients in some circumstances.

Until Cruelty Free International achieves a meaningful, global ban on animal testing, the Leaping Bunny continues to be the only guarantee that animals are not still being used to test the cosmetic ingredients in a company’s products. 

Source: http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/consumer/the-eu-animal-testing-ban