The Body Shop and Dove join forces to end animal testing in Europe

Unilever’s Dove and The Body Shop have joined forces with leading animal protection groups to call on the UK and EU to save cruelty-free cosmetics in Europe, following threats to Europe’s longstanding ban on animal testing for cosmetics.

The beauty giants are working with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Cruelty Free Europe, Humane Society International (HSI and affiliates), Eurogroup for Animals and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) to uphold the European ban on animal testing.

They are urging one million European consumers to sign the European Citizens Initiative petition calling for the current ban on animal testing in cosmetics to be upheld, and are highlighting the campaign with a series of murals by Nina Valkhoff in key European cities, including Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Milan.

The testing of cosmetics products on animals was banned by the European Union in 2004, with tests on cosmetic ingredients prohibited in 2009. In 2013, it prohibited the sale of cosmetics that had been tested on animals. The EU’s approach became a blueprint for regulatory change in countries around the world.

However, recent test requirements from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) “effectively destroyed” the bans, explains The Body Shop and Dove.

Christopher Davis, global CSR and activism director at The Body Shop International, said in a statement: “The Body Shop was the first global beauty brand to fight against animal testing in cosmetics and this commitment has been at the forefront of our activist campaigns for over three decades. Our work with our campaign partners Cruelty Free International led to the original European Union ban in 2013.

“Today, we are calling the EU – home to the world’s largest cosmetics market – to stick to the trailblazing promise they made. We are proud to collaborate with Dove and speak as one voice, along with all those working towards a global end to animal testing for cosmetics, in support of this European Citizen’s Initiative.”

Firdaous El Honsali, senior director of global communications and sustainability at Dove, added: “Together with our partners, The Body Shop and leading animal protection groups, we urge both our peers in the beauty industry and the general public to lend their voice in the fight to end animal testing in the EU once and for all by signing this European Citizens Initiative.”