On June 11 the European Parliament approved a proposal to not only ban cosmetics testing on animals, but also to ban the import of any new cosmetics product that has been tested on animals anywhere in the world.
The proposal defined 14 specific tests used on new products in the European Union. For 11 of those tests, any new cosmetic sold in Europe after December 31, 2004 would have to have been tested in an animal alternative (no word on exactly how strict that standard is given that many animal alternatives in fact utilize animals). For the other three tests, companies would have until 2008 to develop alternative tests.
Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany already ban the testing of cosmetics products on animals within their borders, but the proposed ban on the importing of products tested on animals will meet stiff resistance from the European Commission, especially from France, where most European cosmetics animal testing occurs, and Great Britain, which argues that the law would violate international trade agreements.
In 1993, the European Parliament approved a similar ban which was later rejected by the European Commission.
Source:
Strasbourg votes to ban cosmetics tested on animals. Stephen Castle, The Independent (London), June 12, 2002.
Policy and politics: MEPs ban cosmetics tested on animals. Andrew Osborn, The Guardian (London), June 12, 2002.