India Is Strengthening Its Anti–Animal Testing Legislation – Why Is the EU Still Behind?
After receiving recommendations from PETA India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which released its new Cosmetics Rules, 2020 – providing a separate and updated regulatory framework for testing, manufacturing, selling, stocking, exhibiting, and importing cosmetics in India – has included provisions in the rules to ensure that the ban on the importation of cosmetics tested on animals is stringently enforced.
Soon after this ban was notified by the Indian government in 2014, PETA India called the government’s attention to apparent violations of the law. Evidence submitted by the group demonstrated that cosmetics marketed by companies in India were also registered under the same name for sale in China, where cosmetics tests on animals are mandated. Every company that sells in China knows that many imported products will be forced down the throats of rats or applied directly to the shaved skin or eyes of rabbits. PETA India further pointed out that regulators in India were simply relying on the declaration received from the importers, rather than scrutinising the safety data generated to ensure compliance with the ban on importation and marketing.
To facilitate effective enforcement, the new rules mandate that manufacturers and importers must submit safety data using only non-animal assessment methods, with documentation that demonstrates the specific methods used and a list of countries where marketing authorisation or import permission has been granted. This should be accompanied by a declaration that “[n]o cosmetic manufactured by us shall be imported into India which has been tested on animals”.
India became the first country in Asia to ban the testing of cosmetics and their ingredients on animals as well as the importation of cosmetics that have been tested this way, following talks with PETA India. Significantly, the rules are based on the fundamental principle that any harm caused to animals can never be outweighed by the potential benefit of new cosmetics.
Meanwhile, Animals in Europe Are Still Being Killed in Tests
Back in 2013, people all over Europe celebrated when the ban on animal testing for cosmetics came into full force in the EU. But authorities are still demanding that cosmetics ingredients be tested on animals under certain circumstances.
Urge the European Commission and European Chemicals Agency to respect the Cosmetics Regulation by banning all tests on animals:
Always Shop Cruelty-Free
Testing beauty products on animals is ugly, full stop. Do your part by always using cruelty-free products, and when in doubt, check the PETA US international database of companies that do and don’t test on animals. This easily searchable resource provides information about companies, brands, and products which are truly cruelty-free, including those sold by Indian companies.
