TESTING OF NEW COSMETICS INGREDIENTS ON ANIMALS

That this House notes that the 7th amendment to the Cosmetics Directive (Directive 76/768 EEC) prohibits the testing of new cosmetics ingredients on animals within the European Union from 2009 and the sale of cosmetic products containing ingredients tested on animals outside the European Union from 2013; is concerned that the European Commission is currently assessing the possibility of proposing a delay to the 2013 deadline, even though thousands of existing cosmetics ingredients can safely be used and reformulated to create new products without any need for additional animal testing; recognises that the test and sale bans were introduced in response to overwhelming public opposition to the use of animals to test cosmetics; supports the ethical objective of ending testing on animals of cosmetic products and ingredients; and calls on the Government to take all necessary steps to maintain the 2013 deadline.