Singer Leona Lewis sends Valentine’s card to EU Commissioner
I've gotta getta message to you...
Why has X Factor star Leona Lewis sent a Valentine's Card to the EU's Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy?
It may well be the case that some EU officials in their corridors of power in Brussels look forward to receiving a Valentine's card from a glamorous pop star to brighten their day.
Well that's what John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy has received today...
However the pop star's Valentine’s card and letter is not one of devotion but more of a rap on the knuckles... The message features the singer wearing an End Animal Testing body art message... and includes a plea for a complete ban on animal tested cosmetics across the EU.
The singer and the charity Humane Society International which she is supporting are concerned about a potential loophole occurring allowing unethical animal tested products into the European Union. The Valentine's correspondence is part of Leona Lewis' support for the Humane Society International’s CrueltyFree2013 campaign.
Whilst the European Union banned animal testing for cosmetics in 2009, the campaign points out that ingredients can still be tested on animals in other countries and sold in EU stores.
The ban on selling these animal-tested cosmetics is due to come into force in 2013 and animal welfare activists see this as a major incentive for cosmetic companies to stop animal testing.
However, Leona Lewis along with the charity is concerned that Commissioner Dalli is now considering a proposal that would undermine the ban by giving cosmetics companies a loophole to continue making profits in the EU from the considerable animal suffering that occurs.
In her Valentine's Day message to the commissioner Leona Lewis writes:
"Animals have suffered enough. If their pain has been deemed immoral within the EU, it must also be immoral outside the EU. To trade in their pain would be hypocrisy..."
The campaign points out that cosmetics animal testing is inhumane and unnecessary forcing animals to suffer painful toxicity tests for no real discernible purpose. Whilst thousands of animals are killed in cosmetics tests each year cruelty free products are readily available using safe ingredients.
Guinea pigs, rabbits, mice and hamsters are commonly used for testing in countries outside the EU including China and the United States. Procedures can involve force-feeding animals with cosmetic ingredients and having them dripped on to their eyes or on to their skin and even forcing pregnant animals to ingest substances to see the effects on offspring.
Leona Lewis and the Humane Society International's campaign is also being supported by Ricky Gervais, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Roger Moore, Virginia McKenna and others...
Additional animal welfare charities such as Animal Aid and BUAV are also running cruelty free cosmetics campaigns hoping to ensure EU legislation offers a resounding no to cruelty testing for cosmetics...
Read more Xperedon Charity News at: http://www.xperedon.com/charity_news
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