The final stage of the Indian animal testing ban on cosmetics has now been announced, according to Cruelty Free International, as it is ending the import of animal tested cosmetics into the country. 

This move follows the steps taken in the European Union to finally ban animal-testing on cosmetics in 2013, and builds on India’s national ban on the use of animals to test toiletries and beauty products. Rule 135-B went into effect on Nov. 13, 2014, and states that, “No cosmetic that has been tested on animals after the commencement of Drugs and Cosmetics (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2014 shall be imported into the country.”

Cruelty Free International chief executive Michelle Thew commented, “We are delighted to hear reports that this historic step has now been taken to ban cruel cosmetics in a country with one of the highest populations in the world. This marks the next step in the movement to make the entire world cruelty-free, and we urge countries around the globe to build on this momentum and take decisive action for animals in laboratories. We would also like to thank the pioneering efforts of Union Minister, Maneka Gandhi, for her tireless work for the animals of India.”

 People for Animals became the official India partner of Cruelty Free International in 2012 and Cruelty Free International has been working closely with Gandhi and governments, regulators, companies and partner organizations worldwide. The ambitious campaign is placing the issue of animal testing on the agenda of many governments for the very first time as part of a global strategy to tackle cosmetics testing on animals.

In other news, a package of “progressive breakthroughs” on animal testing in Korea, including a bill to phase out animal tests for cosmetics, has won agreement from both Ministry of Food and Drugs Safety and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), the Ministry responsible for animal testing.

The move comes after two years of detailed work by Cruelty Free International in collaboration with National Assembly Member Moon Jeong-Lim.

In addition, MAFRA is reportedly planning to include a ban on animal testing for cosmetics in a “5 Year Plan for Animal Welfare” with Representative Moon’s Bill underpinning the process. It will be put to the Assembly with MFDS support in the coming months. Nine alternative methods to animal tests have already been validated in Korea and two more are in the pipeline. Once these have been validated for use, the MFDS will publish official guidelines on the full set of alternatives.

“In our discussions with regulators and industry around the world, we are finding that everyone accepts that animal suffering for cosmetics is on the way out,” according to Thew of Cruelty Free International. “We are proud to have spearheaded the campaign across the planet, not least with our million-signature global petition, and we are working to ensure that this decade sees the final end to the archaic practice. We urge those international companies that have not yet changed to join the move and satisfy the overwhelming consumer demand for cruelty-free cosmetics.”