The EU remains committed to finding alternative approaches to animal testing for cosmetics according to the latest report on the Development, Validation and Legal Acceptance of Alternative Methods to Animal Tests.
Following its publication on 13 September, Commissioner Dalli stressed that, “in the last 20 years over 200 million euros has been dedicated to research in this area in the EU alone. Research and development has not only reduced the number of animals used in testing, it has also brought important results in terms of better science and consumer safety”.
Validated alternatives are now available for the identification of corrosive substances, skin and severe eye irritants, skin phototoxicity and skin penetration and to assess genotoxicity. However, research into alternatives testing methods for the more complex effects on health will not be completed before the marketing ban comes into force in March 2013.
The Commission is now assessing the impacts of the full marketing ban. It will decide whether to make a proposal on it by the end of 2011.
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