Brussels, 13/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Despite significant and constant progress since 2004 in developing alternative methods to animal testing of cosmetics, it will not be possible to develop alternatives for testing the most complex effects on health before March 2013. The Commission, however, will not extend the deadline of 1 January 2013 for ending all animal testing without having first carried out an impact assessment, it said on 13 September, basing its position on a report published the same day - the ninth annual report on the Development, Validation and Legal Acceptance of Alternative Methods to Animal Tests in the Field of Cosmetics published under the terms of Directive 76/768/EEC which establishes the European regulatory framework for the marketing of cosmetic products and provides for the phasing out of all animal experimentation for these products.
Under this “Cosmetics Directive”, animal testing of finished cosmetic products has been prohibited in the EU since 2004 and animal testing of ingredients of cosmetic products has been prohibited since 2009, no matter where the testing takes place. Alternative methods have been developed and validated for a large number of the tests needed to ensure the safety of cosmetics. Efforts, however, are continuing to fill in the gaps that exist in the most complex effects on health (repeat-dose toxicity, including skin sensitisation and carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics) for which a marketing ban will come into effect in March 2013.
The report, based on the findings of scientific experts who have been assessing the availability of alternative methods and prospects for the future, highlights the desire in Europe and across the globe to find alternative methods, as witnessed by the fact that, in 2009, in France and Spain alone, tests were carried out on 344 animals compared with 1,510 in 2008.
The report acknowledges, however, that some tests, for example, for skin sensitisation, will not be available before 2019. While full substitution will not be possible, partial alternative strategies will be able to be put in place along with a toolbox of test methods to be improved until the goal can be reached. The Commission is currently considering the impact of the ban's coming into effect when alternative methods are not available and will decide on how to proceed once it receives the full impact assessment.
“Over the last 20 years more than €200 million have been dedicated to research in this area in the EU and the commitment to finding alternatives to animal testing continues both in Europe and worldwide. This research and development has not only reduced the number of animals used in testing, it is at the same time yielding important results in terms of better science to the benefit of consumer safety”, said Health and Consumer Commissioner John Dalli.
The Commission report was welcomed by animal welfare groups. They see in it that not having certain alternative methods will not be enough to allow animal testing beyond 1 January 2013. “Any animal testing on cosmetics involves animals suffering and this is totally unacceptable especially when there are huge numbers of ingredients on the market that have already been tested. New ingredients should no longer be tested on animals even if alternative tests are not currently available”, said Sonja Van Tichelen, Director of Eurogroup for Animals. (A.N./transl.rt)