According to the Cosmetics Directive (76/768/EEC), a European marketing ban on all animal-tested cosmetics products is due to come into effect in March 2013. However, the European Commission now seems likely to claim that it's unable to fulfil its commitment because some replacement methods will not be available in time to meet the 2013 deadline.

At least one replacement method for the tests the Commission is referring to has been validated for use since 2009, which shows the competence of their investigative committee. The proposed ban was originally intended to come into force in 1997, but the European Commission has repeatedly postponed them through the complicity of the MEPs!

What you can do :

* Stop buying/using animal tested cosmetics and boycott companies that continue to test on animals, (a list will be on the site shortly).

* Pressure your European Representative to work to enforce the ban, (a full list of MEPs, by country/region will be on the site soon).

* Participate in demonstrations against the cosmetic companies that still fund animal experiments, or organise one yourself, (a list of good potential targets will be uploaded soon).

* Translate the site! This is a Europe wide issue and to be successful the campaign's message needs to transmitted as far as possible. If you can translate the site into any EU language please contact us.

* Sympathetic organisations and campaign groups can sign the pledge to support the campaign, organise actions and promote the campaign to their members. The more support we have, the more leverage we have when communicating with the MEPs.

Cosmetics companies will continue to test their products on animals, conducting tests that have already been banned in Europe, and then sell those products to European citizens until at least 2019 and possibly even 2025. We must unite to say no to animal tested cosmetics and demand that the 2013 deadline be maintained!