Cosmetic products: animal experiments (7th amend. to "Cosmetics Directive" 76/768/EEC)

The Conciliation Committee reached agreement on a joint text for the directive. The main points of the compromise package can be summarised as follows: - a test and marketing ban will come into effect six years after the entry into force of the directive, i.e 2009, for the large majority of tests; - for those three tests for which there are no alternatives yet under consideration a marketing ban shall come into effect within ten years after entry into force, i.e. 2013; - any prolongation of the 2013 deadline will be decided by codecision between Council and Parliament; - alternative methods of testing shall be validated and adopted at the Community level "with due regard to the development of validation within the OECD"; - a ban on certain substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction; - compulsory indication of the minimum durability of the product and information on how long consumers can use a longlasting cosmetic product after it has been opened without any harm to their health. The label must include a symbol representing an open cream jar; - the qualitative and quantitative composition of the cosmetic product as well as information on undesirable effects on human health must be easily accessible to the public; and - enhanced labelling requirements for substances which may cause allergic reactions (26 fragrance allergens have been included in Annex III of the directive).�