The new report from the commission on alternative methods in the field of cosmetics was issued on September the 13th.

The new report from the commission on alternative methods in the field of cosmetics was issued on September the 13th. This report should help to explain the commission's decision to either postpone or maintain the implementation date for the European marketing ban on animal tested cosmetics. The report is available at this address:

http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/docs/annual_reports_animal_testing_13092011_en.pdf

As in previous reports, this one states that, concerning repeated dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics, alternative methods will not be ready for 2013. It even mentions an extra 10 years delay for developing some of these methods. So, it can be expected that the commission will ask for another report of the ban.

The new report includes some progress though. There is a reference to the BUAV (§3.1.2), an organisation against vivisection, and to the idea of combining several alternative methods to obtain reliable tests. This seems to show that the communication effort made last year was not in vain.

Some of the alternative methods are considered to be too sensitive (§3.1.1.1) and may reject too many ingredients. This is very telling, as we know that many products that go through animal testing without being rejected turn out to be toxic later. With relevant alternative methods, based on human data rather than animal data, it will be more difficult to slip through the net.

We expected the Commission to declare through this report, its decision to either postpone or maintain the implementation date of March 2013. The reports states that no decision has yet been taken.

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