Tonio Borg's appointment as European commissioner for health and consumer policy has attracted differing views (“MEPs back Borg”, 22-28 November). We at the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments have welcomed Mr Borg's appointment given his commitment to ensure that the agreed deadline to end the import and sale of animal-tested cosmetics comes into force without delay or exceptions.
Commissioner Borg (pictured below) has said that it would be detrimental to make derogations. We agree.
In the EU, testing cosmetics on animals has been prohibited since 2009 – so why should countries outside of the European Union that continue this practice be allowed to import animal-tested products into the EU? It is also important that messages sent by the EU to industry are credible.
Animal testing for cosmetics is a subject that has been debated in the EU for more than two decades. There is considerable public support for an end to the use of animals in the testing of cosmetics (our ‘no cruel cosmetics' petition, for example, was signed by a quarter of a million people). The European Parliament clearly voted in favour of a marketing ban on animal-tested cosmetics and has continued to express support for it to come into force in March 2013. It is time to implement the clearly stated will of the European Union.
