Fluffy bunny vote shows EU strength in unaccountability
In many ways the European Union is a sorry waste of taxpayers' money. It is obscure and undemocratic. Few of the people it is supposed to represent know or care much about it. It is bogged down by arcane procedural regulations and it wastes money on an almost criminal level because of national posturing - the monthly perambulation to Strasbourg to keep France happy is a prime example. Yet two recent initiatives show that it isn't all bad, and the European Union can even refresh some parts that national governments can't reach.
The first is the European Parliament's 'fluffy bunny' vote - support for a ban in the EU on cosmetics tested on animals. Not only will the ban apply to cosmetics produced within the EU but it will also affect imports - thus bringing powerful economic forces to bear for producers for whom the EU is a key market. The cosmetics industry, naturally, is horrified. With vast amounts invested in testing facilities it wants to make sure it gets a decent return. This is especially the case in France, where the EU's animal testing industry is concentrated. In fact only French deputies in the European Parliament voted against the ban, because of concern about the impact on French companies such as L'Oreal. Other EU member states, including the Netherlands, Germany and the UK, have already banned animal testing for cosmetics within their borders. Nevertheless, the EU-wide sales ban, even if phased in over several years as planned, will bring the EU into conflict with national governments, who fear trade conflicts, primarily with the USA, says Euro-Correspondent.
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