About: animal testing

Green MEP calls for EU action plan on alternatives to animal testing

All initiatives to promote alternatives to animal testing are welcome, but lawmakers should be bolder and impose some mandatory measures as well, Luxembourgish MEP Tilly Metz has said.

Expert: EU citizens and industry expect ‘big reduction’ in mandatory animal testing

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the Joint Research Centre scientists have a key role to play in meeting the demand of EU citizens and industry, who want to see a big reduction in mandatory animal testing via new methodologies, Dr Julia Fentem told EURACTIV in an interview.

EU still leads the way on animal testing alternatives, industry representative says

The EU continues to lead the world in balancing ethics with science, although the gap with other regions is "significantly" narrowing, Charles Laroche, industry co-chair of the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing.

EU ‘fully committed’ to ending animal testing, insists Commissioner

The EU remains “fully committed” to phasing out testing on animals, Internal Market and Industry Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska told delegates at the annual conference of the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to animal testing on 20 November.

EU Parliament calls for global ban on animal testing for cosmetics

The European Parliament on Thursday (3 May) called on the European Union to launch a high-level diplomatic campaign to impose a worldwide ban on animal testing in the cosmetics industry.

Putting an end to cosmetics testing on animals, definitively

The EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics was a huge step forward but a global ban is the only guarantee that no animal will have to suffer or die for the sake of a shampoo or lipstick ever again, writes Kerry Postlewhite.

EU project hopes to phase out animal-testing

When chemicals are considered too dangerous to be tested on humans, animals have long been the answer to some scientific quandaries. The EU project ToxRisk will act as Europe's flagship for safety assessments that do not require the use of animals. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Cosmetics boss: EU still a world leader after animal-testing ban

A ban on animal-tested ingredients in 2013 in the EU has not affected the cosmetics industry negatively. The EU is still a world leader in cosmetics and safety levels have not been lowered with alternative methods, says John Chave. 

MEPs unconvinced by European Citizens’ Initiative on vivisection

The European Citizens' Initiative "Stop Vivisection", signed by 1.6 million Europeans, failed to impress MEPs at its parliamentary hearing. EURACTIV France reports. 

Turbulent days for the European Citizens Initiative

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is going through turbulent days. Whether it will come out stronger or weakened we are yet to see, writes Sophie von Hatzfeldt.

The European Citizens’ Initiative: A democratic farce?

The European Citizens' Initiative is the world's first transnational tool of participative democracy. But the system needs reform if it is to avoid becoming a farce, argues Sophie von Hatzfeldt. 

Third successful citizens’ petition calls for end to animal testing

A European Citizens’ Initiative urging the European Commission to draft legislation against medical experimentation on animals reached the threshold of one million signatures, making it the third citizens’ petition to meet the 1 November filing deadline.

Europe slaps full ban on animal testing for cosmetics

Guinea pigs, rats, and rabbits can sleep safe and sound in Europe as of today (11 March) after the last deadline specified in the Cosmetics Regulation entered into force across the European Union, forbidding the industry from using animal testing.

Red faces as regions chief loses election, stands down

Italian socialist politician Mercedes Bresso, recently elected the first female president of the Committee of the Regions, will have to quit less than two months into the job after losing a regional election in Italy yesterday (29 March).

Ombudsman to probe EU animal testing report

The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has opened an investigation into how the European Commission conducted a study into the use of chimpanzees for research purposes.

Industry commits to reduce animal testing

Major chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, crop protection and cosmetics companies have agreed on an action plan aiming to reduce animal testing by finding alternative methods through R&D.

Commission-industry partnership aims to reduce animal testing

Industry sectors representing the European pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cosmetics and biotechnology industries will cooperate in research to promote alternative approaches to animal testing.

Commission presents new testing methods to save animals, maintain drug safety

Thanks to new methods of drug testing revealed by the Commission on 12 May, fever-causing agents (pyrogens) from now on will be detected using human blood cells as biosensors, instead of rabbits.

Parliament gives final approval to cosmetics legislation

The Parliament finalised on 15 January the decade-long discussion over animal testing of cosmetics giving industry a 2009 deadline to find alternative testing methods.

Success at second conciliation meeting on animal testing ban for cosmetics

The second conciliation of the Parliament and the Council resulted in an agreement on the banning of animal testing and marketing for cosmetics.

Failure of first conciliation talks on animal testing ban for cosmetics

The delegations of the Parliament and the Council failed to reach an agreement on the ban for cosmetic products tested on animals during their concilation meeting of 7 October.

Difficult conciliation expected on animal testing ban for cosmetics

The hotly contested issue of a ban on animal-tested cosmetic products will be on the agenda of the Concilitation Committee on Monday 7 October. The cosmetics industry claims that it needs more time to develop alternative tests and that a marketing ban will lead to trade disputes with the US and Japan.

EU Scientific Committee states research needs animal testing

The EU's Scientific Advisory Committee has reacted to the protest movement against research using animals by stating that such experiments are vital in the battle against global diseases such as malaria and AIDS.