EU confirms March ban on sales of animal-tested cosmetics

European Commission officials have confirmed today that a full ban on the sale of animal-tested cosmetics in the EU will take effect in March, according to animal rights charity PETA.

PETA said that the new commissioner Tonio Borg confirmed to the charity that he is not planning to propose a postponement to the ban, which is due to come into force in just over a month.

The practice of testing cosmetics on animals has been banned in Europe since 2004 and a testing ban for any individual ingredients used in cosmetics came into force in Europe in 2009.

However, until the forthcoming March ban on sales of animal tested cosmetics comes into force, it has still been legal in Europe to sell cosmetics that have been tested on animals as long as those tests were done outside of the EU.

PETA associated director Mimi Bekhechi said: "This is a great day for animals, consumers and science. The 2013 ban reflects the public's conviction that cosmetics cannot come before animals' lives."