HispanicBusiness

A complete European Union ban on cosmetics tested on animals entered into force on Monday.

The ban applies to products made anywhere in the world.

"As of today, cosmetics tested on animals cannot be marketed any more in the EU," the European Commission said in a statement.

EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said the ban gave "an important signal on the value that Europe attaches to animal welfare."

Industry organization Cosmetics Europe complained, however, that the interdiction acted as a brake on innovation, "while achieving little to improve global animal welfare."

Since 2004, it has been illegal to test cosmetics on animals in the EU. In 2009, a partial ban on selling tested products was introduced.

Until Monday however, there were exceptions to the ban, in cases where there were no alternatives ways yet of testing for complicated side-effects on, for example, long-term health or fertility.

In much of the world, testing cosmetics on rats, mice, guinea-pigs and rabbits is still permitted.