Carshalton & Wallington MP joins fight to stop new EU law from forcing lipstick tests on animals

4.06.01pm GMT Tue 21st Nov 2006

Tom Brake and High Street retailers take stand against EU law plans to enforce animal-tests for every lipstick, mascara and shampoo sold in Europe

Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton & Wallington, Tom Brake, has joined a coalition of over 20 cosmetic companies, including high street giants Marks and Spencer and Boots, and over 90 fellow MPs to back the BUAV's campaign to stop a new EU law from bringing back cosmetics tests on animals.

The coalition has signed up to a joint declaration as the BUAV launches a nation-wide advertising campaign to urge Britons to fight for their right to keep cosmetics cruelty-free (see notes to editor).

Millions of animals could be made to suffer painful and inefficient tests if new EU legislation to regulate chemicals - known as the Regulation, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) - gets voted through in its current form in Brussels next month.

The UK stopped licensing cosmetic animal tests in 1998 due to broad public opposition but this new legislation could mean that companies will be forced to test cosmetics on animals regardless of what they or their customers want.

Tom is urging local people to support the BUAV's mascara massacre campaign by asking their local MEPs to vote against these proposals being passed into law.

Tom said: "I'm extremely concerned that the proposed law could force companies in the EU to test cosmetics on animals which is why I'm joining the BUAV's coalition to urge European politicians and Member States to do everything in their power to keep our cosmetics cruelty free."

The Body Shop Values Director Jan Buckingham said: "We support the objectives of REACH to protect human health and the environment but call for every effort to be made to minimise the need for any new animal tests. We support the BUAV's amendment and in particular their campaign to ensure that Cosmetics Directive ban on animal testing for cosmetic purposes is protected."

BUAV Campaigns manager Sean Gifford said: "The EU is on the brink of voting through the single biggest piece of animal-testing legislation in history, which could give the green light to the poisoning of up to 45 million animals in labs. The British public can help us stop this suffering by contacting their MEPs and asking them to keep animals out of REACH.

Instructions on how to write to urge local MEPs to take action can be found at www.buav.org/mascaramassacre