A Brussels-based network of animal protection groups recently claimed a huge win after collecting more than 1.4 million signatures to end animal testing in Europe.
In separate news releases posted to its website and PR Newswire, Cruelty Free Europe expressed pride and gratitude after collecting 1,413,383 signatures in its Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics/End Animal Testing European Citizens' Initiative. The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) signature collection deadline was 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.
The wait is on for European Union (EU) member states to validate the initiative, Kerry Postlewhite, director of public affairs for Cruelty Free Europe, said.
"Although we now have to wait several months to see if our ECI is validated by EU member states, the huge number of signatures and the fact that this is the second time citizens have said 'no' to animal testing must surely underline to Europe's lawmakers the strength of feeling there is on this issue," Postlewhite said, according to PR Newswire.
Cruelty Free Europe hopes that the European Commission, members of the European parliament, and national governments "take heed and act at once to end the testing on animals of ingredients used in cosmetics," Postlewhite said. "We also need an ambitious and urgent plan to consign all other experiments on animals to the history books, where they belong."
Signatures collected for the initiative will be submitted to each EU member state over the next three months for verification, PR Newswire reported. Cruelty Free Europe members plan to meet with EU state representatives to discuss the issue.
The ECI's validation is not definite. "To date, only six ECIs out of a total of 90 that have been registered have successfully completed this validation stage," PR Newswire said. The large number of signatures "is a strong signal that this ECI could join them." The signature initiative is aimed at more than 10 million animals – including rabbits, cats, dogs, and mice – who "suffer an agonizing existence every year in research and testing in laboratories around Europe."
The signature initiative is not the first success for the organization. Cruelty Free Europe collected more than 1 million signatures for the Stop Vivisection initiative in 2015, according to both press releases. The more recent signature initiative began in August 2021 with support from Cruelty Free Europe, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), Eurogroup for Animals, the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments, and HSI Europe. Initiative supporters also include global beauty and personal care companies such as The Body Shop and Dove. The ECI has been "actively promoted by a coalition of groups and campaigners from every corner of Europe."
"We are incredibly proud of this collaborative landmark and look forward to successful validation of the signatures," Postlewhite said. "The people of Europe have made the task for the European Commission clear: it must come forward with substantive legislative proposals to phase out animal experiments and end the suffering of millions of animals in laboratories in Europe. We demand change in testing and research. It is high time for Europe to evolve past cruel and outdated animal testing."