Europe’s longstanding ban on animal testing is under threat. We must act now to Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics. We’ve joined forces with Dove, The Body Shop and animal protection organisations to sound a rallying call for consumers to sign the European Citizens’ Initiative – a formal mechanism for people to demand new legislation. Together with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Cruelty Free Europe (CFE), Humane Society International (HSI), Eurogroup for Animals and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE)*, we’re campaigning for one million signatures to Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics in Europe. Will you join us?
After decades of campaigning – by everyday people, animal protection organisations and companies, the European Union (EU) banned testing cosmetics products on animals in 2004. It put a stop to tests for cosmetics ingredients in 2009 – and finally, in 2013, the EU prohibited the sale of all cosmetics products that had been tested on animals. This landmark ban became the gold standard for regulatory change in countries all over the world. But now the ban is under threat.
Cruelty free cosmetics need our help
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is proposing new animal testing for ingredients that have been safely used by consumers and handled in factories for many years – including those solely used for cosmetics. If these changes go through, millions of animals could be subjected to cruel and unnecessary testing. Not only do these changes put the eight-year animal testing ban at risk, they also threaten the progress to ban cosmetic testing on animals globally by 2023 – something the European Parliament has been boldy calling for since 2018.
This is unacceptable. We need your support to make it stop.