Europe ready to outlaw the sale of cosmetics tested on animals

The European Parliament is preparing to vote for an EU-wide ban on the sale of all cosmetics tested on animals, dealing a humiliating blow to Labour's policy on animal welfare.

A cross-party coalition of MEPs will back proposals making it illegal for make-up, hairspray, deodorant and other cosmetics tested on animals to be sold in any EU country, regardless of where they are produced. The ban would take effect in five years' time.

Many companies, including Body Shop, already voluntarily refuse to stock products tested on animals. But the British Government opposes an outright ban because it believes it will break World Trade Organisation rules.

MEPs are worried that anything short of a total sales ban in European countries would simply drive animal testing of cosmetics to countries outside Europe, while allowing the fruits of that testing to be sold freely within it.

Animal welfare groups accuse ministers of "hypocrisy" over the issue and of having betrayed voters, who were told in 1997 that "Labour is totally committed to stopping cosmetics testing on animals". They believe British ministers have succumbed to lobbying by the animal testing industry and cosmetics companies and have let down the British public, 83 per cent of whom support a sales ban.

Denmark and Austria are likely to support MEPs when they vote next week on the amendment to the EU directive on animal testing. But Britain will use its votes in the Council of Ministers to block the move, despite a compromise exemption proposed by MEPs to allow three tests for which there are no non-animal alternatives to continue for 10 years.

Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat spokesman on consumer affairs in Brussels, said that "there was major public resistance to the idea of testing for vanity products.

"Any government claim that a ban on animal testing within the borders of the UK will have any effect on the welfare of animals is a pretence," he said.