MEPs fight bid to halt ban on ‘cruel’ cosmetics

Date: 25/01/01

By Laurence Frost

MEPS are set to reject European Commission plans to scrap the EU's ban on the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals.

But industry lobbyists are struggling to save the proposal, which would replace the unimplemented prohibition against such sales with a Union-wide moratorium on the experiments themselves.

The European Parliament's environment committee is working on a draft report by German Socialist Dagmar Roth-Behrendt which has already won cross-party support for keeping the sales ban. British Liberal

MEP Chris Davies says the paper is a direct challenge to the Commission.

"The idea that the test ban meets the original objectives makes no sense at all," he said. "Clearly animals would be subjected to these tests in other parts of the world instead."

Parliamentary insiders say the report stands a good chance of adoption when the assembly votes in March, but industry is underlining Commission concerns that the sales ban would violate World Trade Organisation rules.

"It would be counter-productive to start down the path towards a trade war," said a spokeswoman for the EU cosmetics lobby Colipa.

Animal welfare groups have hailed the report's rejection of the trade argument, invoked by the Commission since 1993 to put off implementation of the ban.

"It's being used as an excuse," said Marlou Heinen of the animal rights association Eurogroup. "You can always think about changing legislation if a WTO panel finds a problem - but to throw out existing legislation without even testing it would set a disturbing precedent."

Roth-Behrendt's supporters say a sales ban would encourage research into non-animal testing. But some members are already considering compromises, including a distinction between 'vanity' products and those with proven health or safety benefits.

MEPs are set to reject European Commission plans to scrap the EU's ban on the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals.