Many European citizens consider the European Commission in Brussels as very bureaucratic, making their lives with directives more complicated and putting national diversity in danger. They often do not realize that important initiatives for the consumer, safety and health have resulted from the work of European institutions. A paramount example is the field of cosmetics that is regulated by the Cosmetic Products Directive (76/768/EEC). This Directive defines what a cosmetic product is and what safety requirements have to be fulfilled to bring it onto the European market. The safety assessment of cosmetics as demanded by the Directive strives to protect the consumer on one side, while avoiding animal experiments on the other side. In this respect, stringent deadlines for animal testing have been implemented which will seriously affect the safety assessment process.
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