PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) held a symbolic protest at the Schuman roundabout in Brussels on Thursday, criticising what it calls the subversive nature of EU regulations banning animal testing in the cosmetic industry.
The organisation claims the European Commission allows animal testing to continue by exploiting existing chemical product regulations, enabling the industry to bypass the ban. To highlight the issue, two activists dressed as life-sized rabbits, covered in fake blood and chemicals, symbolising the animal experiments. They positioned themselves inside a giant makeup case outside the European Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels.
PETA condemns the current legislative inconsistency and demands urgent harmonisation of the laws. The current animal testing ban is undermined by chemical legislation, the group asserts.
“Allowing animals to be poisoned, mistreated, and dissected to develop shampoos or sunscreens breaks the EU’s commitment to ban these outdated and barbaric practices,” said Jen Hochmuth, a strategic advisor at PETA. The group calls on the EU to “tighten the loose ends of the net.” Hochmuth insists that adapting and harmonising regulations is straightforward and urgent, stressing that alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics exist.
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PETA also claims the EU is ignoring a citizens’ initiative signed by 1.2 million Europeans. “The Commission’s response to the 2023 initiative was disappointing, failing to acknowledge the weakened regulations,” PETA stated.
The European Commission responded, stating it is committed to phasing out animal testing in Europe. Over the past two decades, the Commission has supported developing alternatives to animal testing through successive multiannual research and innovation programmes, allocating over €800 million to more than 230 projects in this field.
The Commission also noted it is diligently working on a roadmap to phase out animal tests within chemical safety contexts, reiterating that “animal testing is only considered when no alternatives are available.”
