The “Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics” European citizens’ initiative (ECI), which calls on the European Commission to commit to a Europe without animal testing, has closed after the 365 days required with a record 1,413,383 signatures. Only six of the 90 registered ECIs have successfully completed the validation stage so far (which includes reaching 1 million valid signatures). Now the ECI will go through a strict verification procedure in which each government checks that every signature is from a real person and that they have only signed the ECI once. The organisers of the initiative have three months to submit signatures to member state competent authorities for validation before they can take it to the European Commission and Parliament for action.
This initiative calls on the European Commission to do the following: 1. Protect and strengthen the cosmetics animal testing ban (initiate legislative change to achieve consumer, worker, and environmental protection for all cosmetics ingredients without testing on animals for any purpose at any time). 2. Transform EU chemicals regulation (Ensure human health and the environment are protected by managing chemicals without the addition of new animal testing requirements). 3. Modernise science in the EU (Commit to a legislative proposal plotting a roadmap to phase out all animal testing in the EU before the end of the current legislative term).
This initiative was needed because despite the resolution adapted by the majority of Members of the European Parliament in the plenary session of the European Parliament, the European Commission, the executive body of the EU, has so far refused to implement significant steps toward a future without animal testing.
If after validation there are still 1 million valid signatures at least, the initiative will be heard at the European Parliament, and a vote will possibly follow. The European Commission must then release a formal response detailing what action it will propose in response to the ECI and the reasons behind its decision.
