IN 2021, CHINA WILL TAKE A DECISIVE STEP IN STOPPING ANIMAL TESTS REQUIRED BY ITS AUTHORITIES ON IMPORTED COSMETIC PRODUCTS

1.14.2021

The cosmetic companies have worked closely with the French health authorities so that the latter are able to issue the certificate required by the Chinese authorities as soon as possible.

The Chinese authorities have decided to stop testing “ordinary” cosmetic products imported into China on animals in the near future. This is provided that the manufacturers present a certificate of compliance with good manufacturing practices of the production site issued by their competent national authorities, as well as a product safety assessment.

Thanks to the mobilization of cosmetic companies and the ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products), the competent health authority, France is now in a position to issue this certificate. 

This decisive step forward is in line with the sector's efforts to support China in the total abandonment of animal testing of cosmetic products, which have already been banned in France, as in the rest of the European Union, since 2004. The tests still required are carried out by laboratories approved by the Chinese authorities, on their territory, and in no case by the manufacturers .

A decisive and long-awaited new step

The cosmetics sector has been committed for a long time to have alternative methods to animal testing recognized, and to change foreign regulations towards a total and definitive elimination of these tests.

Since June 2014, animal testing was no longer required for certain products manufactured and marketed in China (shampoos, shower gels, makeup) while "special" use cosmetics, such as hair dyes, as well as all imported cosmetic products, remained concerned by animal testing.

Today, a new step has been taken, since all "ordinary" cosmetic products imported into China can also be exempted upon their arrival on the territory from animal testing, on condition that a certificate of conformity is presented. to Good Manufacturing Practices and a safety assessment. 

This regulation has not yet been published, however the French authorities have put themselves in a position to be able to provide the elements necessary to apply these new measures as soon as they come into force.

In France, the ANSM will issue the certificate to the sites that manufacture these products. Since January 12, 2021, the ANSM has put online a dedicated platform to download the documents necessary to obtain this certificate.

“We are delighted with this breakthrough, which rewards several years of efforts towards the total and definitive abandonment of animal testing around the world,”  comments  Patrick O'Quin, president of FEBEA. The cosmetics sector is the only one to have totally banned animal testing in Europe, and we are happy to continue to develop regulations in other parts of the world. This regulation will also allow French cosmetic companies to export under new conditions to China. This country is today our second trading partner. "

Developing alternative methods to animal testing: the precursor role of cosmetics

For more than 30 years, well before the entry into force of the ban on animal testing in the European Union, cosmetic companies have been developing alternative methods to animal testing. To date, more than 200 alternative methods to animal research have been developed and validated by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development”). These methods, developed by the sector, bring real scientific advances. Their applications go beyond the use by cosmetic companies, since medicine or other sectors now also use them.

(from: FEBEA)

FRANCE BECOMES FIRST EU COUNTRY TO BYPASS CHINA ANIMAL TESTS ON ‘ORDINARY’ COSMETICS IMPORTS

1.15.2021

French cosmetics manufacturers can now obtain a certificate of conformity allowing them to import certain cruelty-free cosmetics into China.

France has become the first country among the European Union member states to issue a certificate of conformity enabling domestic brands to import certain cosmetic products to China without mandatory animal testing.

Chinese authorities have agreed to no longer test ‘ordinary’ cosmetic products imported into China before being placed on the market. This is on the condition that manufacturers present a certificate of conformity showing that product manufacture complies with Good Manufacturing Practices (issued by the competent authorities in the country of origin), as well as a product safety assessment.

France’s beauty trade body, the Fédération des entreprises de la beauté (FEBEA), credits the mobilisation of cosmetics players and the French health authorities with the country’s speedy issuance of certificates.

The testing of cosmetic products on animals has been banned in the EU since 2009. But some countries, including China, require local health control authorities to test imported finished products on animals before authorising their marketing in their territory.

Since June 2014, certain products manufactured and marketed in China (including shampoos, shower gels and make-up) have no longer been tested on animals.

Only all imported products and ‘special’ use cosmetics, such as hair dyes, remained affected.

Now, all ‘ordinary’ cosmetic products manufactured in, or exported to China are exempt from animal testing, provided that a certificate of compliance with Good Practices is presented.

In France, says FEBEA, it is the ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products) which will issue these certificates to the sites that manufacture ‘ordinary’ cosmetic products.

As of 12 January, the ANSM has put online a dedicated platform allowing beauty and personal care manufacturers to download the documents necessary to obtain the certificate, allowing all French cosmetics manufacturers to export to China without their products being tested upon arrival.

"We are delighted with this progress, which rewards several years of efforts made with the Chinese authorities," commented Patrick O’Quin, President of the FEBEA.

“The cosmetics industry is the only industry in Europe to have completely banned animal testing and we are happy to continue to change regulations in other parts of the world.

“This agreement will also allow French cosmetics companies to export under new conditions to China. This country is now our second largest trading partner."

(From: COSMETICS BUSINESS)

PETA CAMPAIGN MAY LEAD TO MORE CRUELTY-FREE COSMETICS IN CHINA

27.8.2020

The Chinese government is taking new steps to loosen its requirements for cosmetics tests on animals—specifically, it’s predicted that China will no longer require that imported non–special use cosmetics (like shampoo, body wash, lotion, and makeup) be tested on animals in order to be marketed in the country.

China had already removed the animal-testing requirement for many products manufactured there, enabling brands like Dove and Herbal Essences to be listed with PETA as animal test–free. Now it’s proposed another huge cruelty-free step forward.

Here’s the Nitty Gritty on China’s Potential Cosmetics Regulations

In January 2020, China’s State Council passed a long-awaited final draft of the Cosmetic Supervision and Regulation (CSAR), which replaces the outdated cosmetics regulations. The final publication of the law and text implementing it were delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but on June 29, 2020, the State Council released the final version of the CSAR.

However, the text didn’t call for a ban on animal tests—instead, it instructed another government agency, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), to formulate specific details for the testing requirements under the law. On July 28, 2020, the NMPA released the draft of those detailed sub-regulations, and they are currently up for analysis and public comment.

It’s expected that, if passed, the forthcoming rules will allow for the sale of many imported cosmetics that won’t have to be tested on animals. If this is the case, we’ll celebrate the progress, as we have with every new measure that has spared animals being poisoned in tests inside Chinese laboratories.

Here’s some background: After PETA learned eight years ago that companies like Estée Lauder and Mary Kay paid the bill for deadly poisoning tests on animals in China, we took action. Realizing that Chinese scientists were unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the many non-animal tests available, we awarded two grants to the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) so that its expert scientists could travel to China to offer their expertise and guidance in replacing cruel, unreliable animal tests with non-animal methods. PETA’s grant also allowed the IIVS to create a coalition of cosmetics companies to support its efforts. Since then, the IIVS and its coalition have made great progress.

Does this mean that China will be entirely animal test–free?

While this could mean exciting progress, it doesn’t mean the end of all tests on animals in China yet. Companies manufacturing “special use products” will still be required to pay for such tests. Special use cosmetics are those with functional claims, including but not limited to hair dyes, hair perms, whitening products, sunscreen products, and anti–hair loss products. So while the passing of the CSAR is an exciting milestone, animals used in experiments still need our help.

What does China’s new testing regulation mean for you as a consumer?

We know it can be tricky to figure out which products are manufactured by companies that don’t test on animals, but you can rely on PETA’s Global Beauty Without Bunnies list. Our online searchable database includes more than 4,800 compassionate companies and brands that don’t test on animals anywhere in the world.

(From: PETA.org)