The European Union Bans Cosmetics with Animal-Tested Ingredients

The European Union announced Monday that they will no longer allow any cosmetic products sold in Europe that contain ingredients tested on animals.

"This is a great opportunity for Europe to set an example of responsible innovation in cosmetics without any compromise on consumer safety," said Tonio Borg, the top official on health and consumer issues for the 27-country EU.

As animal rights advocates were moved with excitement for the ban on animal testing for cosmetic products, not all companies shared the same view. Cosmetics Europe, a trade body representing the EU's (EURO) 71 billion ($93 billion) industry, said the ban "acts as a brake on innovation," according to CBS News.

While the industry's rabbits, mice or guinea pigs used in testing will now be spared, consumers are unlikely to notice immediate changes because products containing ingredients that were tested on animals before the ban can remain on the shelves.

The 27-country bloc's executive arm, the European Commission, claimed the decision "is in line with what many European citizens believe firmly: that the development of cosmetics does not warrant animal testing."

As the EU has banned animal testing of finished cosmetic products since 2004, the ban on cosmetics containing animal-tested ingredients was first decided four years ago but initially left loopholes for certain tests following resistance from cosmetics companies. Animal rights groups including the Humane Society International were hopeful that the EU's decision on the full ban as a major step in stopping animals' suffering was a step in the right direction, saying that the bloc has become "the world's largest cruelty-free cosmetic market."

The group also said it hopes the course taken by the EU -- whose nations combine form the world's biggest economy -- will soon be replicated by the global cosmetics industry.