We have warmly welcomed agreed revisions to the EU Detergents Regulation, which look set to block new requirements to test on animals. 

The EU detergents legislation affects a huge range of everyday consumer products – and the indicated revisions are consistent with the phase-out of animal testing in EU chemicals legislation, as is being mapped out by the EU Commission’s Roadmap Towards Phasing Out Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessments.   

We now call for changes made to EU legislation, today and in the near future, to work towards and not against the goal of phasing out animal testing. The indicated revisions to the EU’s detergents regulation are especially significant, given that changes to other chemicals regulations in the EU could soon drastically increase animal testing requirements and undermine progress before implementation of the Commission’s chemicals roadmap has even started.  

Following the negotiations between the European Parliament and Council of the European Union, on the Commission’s proposals, we expect the updated detergents regulation to include a clear ban on animal testing. This is a significant achievement and reflects the strength of ongoing advocacy efforts by ourselves and other animal protection NGOs, who work tirelessly to end animal testing across Europe.  

The full text of the agreement is yet to be published, but early indications confirm that our call for a dedicated article banning animal testing for detergents has been accepted. This is the first explicit animal testing ban to be introduced in EU chemicals law since the introduction of the cosmetics testing bans in 2013, and adds valuable legal and policy weight to the growing body of EU legislation that supports a transition away from animal testing.  

In 2022, over 1.2 million people demanded the protection and strengthening of the EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics by signing the ‘Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe Without Animal Testing’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which was launched by a coalition of European animal protection groups including Cruelty Free Europe. In response, the European Commission promised to start planning the total phase-out of animal testing for all chemicals.  

We see that references to the goal of ending animal testing are increasing across EU law, alongside the promotion of non-animal methods, and — as in the case of the Detergents regulation — outright bans. This signals growing political and scientific momentum toward a cruelty-free Europe.  

This news also reflects the strength of the commitment made by the European Parliament, which had set out an ambitious proposal for the introduction of a ban and have seen it through in negotiations under the steady guidance of the Parliament's Rapporteur, Majdouline Sbai MEP, and formerly Manuela Ripa MEP.  

This agreement reinforces the European Union’s ultimate objective of phasing out animal testing and aligns with growing public expectation and rapidly advancing scientific progress. We will continue to monitor the final details and support decision-makers to ensure this important win delivers real-world change for animals and consumers.  

Our Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs, Dr Emma Grange, said: “This is a significant move and we commend the work of the European Parliament in pushing for this core provision which blocks animal testing under the detergents regulations. We do, however, understand that the final text may include specific carve-outs for certain situations, potentially leaving some space for animal tests under narrow conditions. Until the agreed text is released, we remain cautious in our celebration and will continue to push for the strongest ban on testing on animals.”   

Majdouline Sbai MEP commented: “I am delighted by the outcome of the negotiations on the revision of the Detergents regulation, which concerns one of its most important topics: the banning of animal testing. The European Parliament fought hard to create a dedicated article asking for the ban on animal testing, and reflecting the demand of over 1.2 million European citizens who signed the European Citizens’ Initiative to end animal testing in cosmetics. From now on, only products developed using non-animal testing methods will be allowed in the internal market. It is a major win for animal welfare!"