Ban animal testing for cosmetics

Last week, the European Parliament, with the support of the Dutch Party for the Animals (PftA), called for the global ban of testing cosmetics on animals.

MEP Anja Hazekamp after the vote of the European Parliament. The text on the sign: “I just voted for a global ban on animal testing for cosmetics”

“Already in 2004, the European Union banned animal testing for make-up, creams, shampoos and other cosmetics products. Now, almost fifteen years later, they still sell cosmetics in shops that animals had to suffer for. It is now time for this ban to be maintained in the EU, and cosmetics that were tested on animals should now really be removed from the shelves worldwide,” according to the Party for the Animals’ MEP Anja Hazekamp.

The Dutch Party for the Animals points out the fact that there is still cosmetics in the shelves that were tested on animals outside Europe. “This doesn’t help animals at all”, according to Hazekamp. “The unbridled free trade that Europe focuses on means that it’s getting harder and harder to remove incorrect products from shops. It is good that the European Parliament has clearly pointed out that animal welfare has priority over the trade in cosmetics tested on animals. Additionally, it is essential to convince other countries that the testing on animal for cosmetics is unnecessary and unacceptable.”

But in Europe too, according to Hazekamp, the ban of cosmetics tested on animals is often circumvented. “For example, it is still possible to conduct animal testing under the European chemicals legislation. Brussels should therefore align all different EU legislations. It does not make a difference to the animals themselves under which law, under which exception, or for what product they are killed in the lab,” according to the MEP.