Written answers

Thursday, 27 June 2013

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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271. To ask the Minister for Health when Regulation 1223/2009 dated 11 March 2013 in relation to the ban on animal-tested cosmetics will be fully implemented and if the submission of Irish anti-Vivisection Society (details supplied) will be taken into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31408/13]

Photo of Alex WhiteAlex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Regulation 9 of S.I. No. 870 of 2004 which prohibits the marketing of cosmetic products and ingredients that have been tested in animals has been in force since 11 March 2009, except for a derogation relating to three toxicity checks. On 11 March 2013, this derogation ended, and no further testing on animals of cosmetics or ingredients can take place.

It has been the policy of the Department of Health not to licence the use of live animals for testing of cosmetics in Ireland and this is confirmed by the statistical information provided by the Department to the European Commission under Article 13 of Directive 86/609/EEC, as amended.

Furthermore, there have been no incidences of breaches of this ban detected in ongoing European cosmetic surveillance programmes brought to the attention of the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) or my Department to date.

The relevant Regulations require the manufacturer of the product, the manufacturer's agent, the person to whose order the cosmetic product is manufactured for, or the person who first supplies the cosmetic product in the European Union, to ensure that cosmetics imported, distributed or retailed in Ireland or the EU comply with the legislation. Enforcement of the legislation is provided for in Regulation 12 of S.I. No. 870 of 2004 and the IMB is the Competent Authority responsible for ensuring that the legislation is complied with.

On 11 March 2013 the EU Commission published a Communication on the animal testing ban. This Communication concluded that the marketing ban should enter into force, be coherently implemented throughout the EU and that the research and development of alternative testing methods for toxicity of cosmetics should be prioritised as part of the EU's trade and international cooperation agenda.

All comments received will be taken into account and modifications made to the guidance document as deemed appropriate.

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