Over 1.4 million individuals in the European Union have signed the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “For Cruelty-Free Cosmetics.”
The campaign is looking to end the usage of animal testing by the European cosmetics industry, which often uses animals to test consumer products.
The initiative of the citizens was introduced in the month of August 2021 by the animal rights groups PETA, Eurogroup for animals, as well as the European Coalition to End Animal Testing. Moreover, the initiative has been openly promoted by some companies in the cosmetics and personal care industry, such as The Body Shop and Dove, as well as by other groups across Europe.
According to the NGO Animal Rights, every year, over 10 million animals, including dogs, rabbits, cats, mice and others, undergo testing in laboratories all over Europe.
Along with this, the animal rights group mentioned in the statement, “Today, European citizens are demanding an end to the cruel usage of animals to test ingredients in cosmetics and other chemicals, as well as an ambitious plan to end all animal testing.”
At the closing date for collecting signatures at the end of August 31, about 1,413,383 individuals had joined the campaign, which also included about 11,229 Belgians. This is only the second European citizens’ initiative to surpass the one million thresholds. In 2015, the “Stop Vivisection” campaign also broke the mark of one million.
In addition, Jen Hochmuth, campaign coordinator for Animal Rights, shared the information, “We did it! Together, we have consistently called for action to protect laboratory animals, and we have made history. This is one of the essential days for suffering animals in the world which are suffering cruel treatment.”
The group now hopes that the European Commission, members of the European Parliament, and the national government will take “immediate action to end animal testing for cosmetics.”
Furthermore, Animal rights are calling to work toward a comprehensive ban on animal testing, stating that they want to “relegate all animal testing to the history books, where it belongs.”
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