Council Directive 2003/15/EEC amending Council Directive 76/768/EEC on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to cosmetic products
Implemented by Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2004.
The Directive includes:
- an immediate marketing ban on new cosmetics tested on animals where alternative test methods have been validated and adopted in the EU;
- a marketing ban on new animal-tested cosmetics six years after the Directive comes into force. This applies to the use of the majority of animal tests and the time period for implementation cannot be extended;
- a marketing ban on new animal-tested cosmetics in relation to tests for repeated-dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics ten years after the Directive comes into force;
- an immediate ban on animal testing of finished cosmetic products;
- an immediate ban on animal testing of ingredients where alternative test methods have been validated and adopted in the EU;
- a complete ban on all animal testing for cosmetics in the EU six years after the Directive comes into force.