EU Ban on Testing Cosmetic Ingredients on Animals

The Seventh amendment to the EU Cosmetics Directive (legislation covering cosmetics) means that from March 11, 2009, it is illegal to test cosmetic ingredients on animals for skin irritancy, phototoxicity, corrosivity, percutaneous absorption, genotoxicity, ocular irritancy and acute toxicity. It is now illegal to test cosmetic ingredients on animals anywhere in the EU and to sell or import into the EU cosmetic ingredients or products that have been animal tested after March 11, 2009, with the exception of eight other tests which are still authorised until 2013.

In 2013 animal testing will also become illegal for carcinogenicity,
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