A report by an international working group of regulators and industry from the EU, Brazil, Canada, Japan and the US is further fuelling our call to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to stop chipping away at the EU Cosmetics Regulation by requiring animal tests for ingredients used primarily or exclusively in cosmetics. We are appealing to you to help stop the overREACH and potentially save thousands of animals from suffering in European laboratories by signing our petition.

The working group is part of the International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation and aims to develop entirely animal-free chemical safety testing. The report outlines a ‘next generation’ approach to chemical safety testing which is more relevant to human health. The advanced techniques include a combination of non-animal testing methods such as computer models, in vitro human cells and studies using human-on-a-chip technology.

Research by the group, which includes scientists from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, highlights the importance of the EU animal cosmetics testing bans and the key role of the cosmetics sector in ending animal testing. The group’s findings effectively reinforce our call to cosmetics companies and consumers to join together in a campaign to fight the undermining of the EU animal cosmetics testing bans by ECHA.

Kerry Postlewhite, Director of Public Affairs at Cruelty Free International, says: “This report produced by a working group including European Union scientists highlights just how ludicrous the interpretation of the EU bans by ECHA and the Commission is. ECHA is stepping outside its remit and ignoring EU legislation and the will of European politicians and citizens. We need cosmetics companies, decision-makers and supporters across Europe to join the fight to stop these ECHA tests and help save the thousands of animals that will suffer if this narrow interpretation of the bans is not addressed. The ground-breaking EU bans changed the world for animals, and the cosmetics sector now leads the development of non-animal methods and strategies. We urge everyone to honour and protect the EU’s landmark legislation by signing our petition.”