Worldwide Progress
There are many countries around the world that are making progress in ending the use of animals for cosmetics testing. The European Union (EU) took the lead in adopting a directive in 2004 that began the process of instituting an animal testing ban, but only recently finished its final stage in phasing out the testing, distribution and marketing of animal-tested products throughout the EU. The EU consists of 28 member countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Since 2010, additional countries have passed laws or are currently considering proposals to end cosmetics testing on animals throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and North and South America.
2004
European Union (EU) establishes a prohibition on testing finished cosmetics products on animals.
2009
EU extends the prohibition on testing cosmetics ingredients on animals.
EU prohibits the marketing and sale of cosmetics products and ingredients that were tested on animals for most health effects.
2010
Israel enters the first phase of banning the sale of animal-tested cosmetics.
2013
EU testing ban is complete with a prohibition on the marketing and sale of cosmetics products that were tested on animals for repeated-dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics testing, irrespective of the availability of alternative non-animal tests.
Israel’s complete ban on the sale of animal-tested cosmetics products takes effect.
Norway institutes a ban on testing cosmetics on animals, including a ban on importing and selling cosmetics that were tested on animals.
2014
India prohibits the import of cosmetics tested on animals. The ban on importing animal-tested cosmetics comes after India recently adopted an internal ban on the testing of cosmetics on animals.
Brazilian State of Sao Paolo institutes a ban on animal testing for cosmetics.
Brazil introduces legislation to end testing of final cosmetics products; a weak bill passes House but an amendment to strengthen it is under consideration by the Senate in 2015. Passage of the weak bill may preempt individual state bans on cosmetics testing.
2015
South Korea announces in January that it will implement a Five Year Plan for Animal Welfare that includes a ban on animal testing for cosmetics, as well as the marketing and selling of animal-tested cosmetics.
New Zealand bans the use of animals for cosmetics safety testing. The ban covers only domestic products and not the sale of products tested outside the country.
Canada introduces legislation to ban animal testing for cosmetics manufactured in the country, including the sale of cosmetics products or ingredients that have been tested on animals elsewhere. This bill exempts research authorized by the government for purposes of evaluating specific health problems associated with a cosmetic or ingredient in wide use.
United States introduces The Humane Cosmetics Act in the House of Representatives to ban the use of animals for safety testing on cosmetics and to end the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals.
Argentina introduces legislation in the Senate to phase out the animal testing of cosmetics ingredients and the sale of animal-tested cosmetics in two years.
Russia introduces a bill to phase out all animal testing for cosmetics and their ingredients by 2020.
2016
Australia bans the use of animals for cosmetics safety testing. The ban also includes the sale of cosmetic products and ingredients tested on animals outside the country. The ban goes into effect July 2017.
Taiwan bans cosmetic animal testing for finished products and cosmetic ingredients. The legislation will go into effect in 2019.
Switzerland bans the sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals.
2017
Guatemala bans animal testing for cosmetics.