The EU’S Role in Cosmetics
From luxury beauty items like makeup and perfumes to everyday hygiene products such as toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and soap, cosmetics are utilized by virtually everyone. In order to secure an internal market for cosmetics and to provide consumer safety, these products are regulated at European level.
Europe does not only serve as a dominant cosmetics exporter; it is also a world leader in the cosmetics industry. While providing significant employment in Europe, the sector is also known to be highly innovative. The major involvement of the EU in the cosmetic industry is concerned with the regulatory convergence, international trade relations and regulatory framework for maker access.
The European Commission is also working hand in hand with international cosmetics stakeholders and those at the EU level. This cooperation is aimed at promoting smoother implementation of EU requirements while enhancing the exchange of information. While promoting the competitiveness and the innovation of this sector, all these are aimed at ensuring the highest level of consumer safety.
Product Safety and Legislation
According to the EU Cosmetics Regulation, every cosmetic product placed on the EU market must be safe for consumer use regardless of the channels of distribution or the manufacturing processes employed. While the cosmetics manufacturers must ensure that their products undergo expert scientific safety assessment before they are sold, they are also responsible for the safety of their products.
Also, cosmetic legislation at EU level ensures that there is a ban on animal testing for cosmetic purposes. Before any product is placed on the market, the EU Cosmetics Regulation expects all products to be marketed in the EU are required to be duly registered in the Cosmetics Products Notification Portal (CPNP).
Due to the higher potential risk to consumer health or scientific complexity, the EU Cosmetics Regulation requires that certain cosmetic products are provided with special attention from regulators. At the national level, it ensures EU countries are responsible for market surveillance.
The setting up of CosIng – databases specially established to provide information on cosmetic substances and ingredients – by the European Commission has helped to provide easy access to information on these ingredients for cosmetics, which also includes restrictions and requirements.
To this end, the EU Cosmetics Regulation has been helping to protect consumers and ensuring that every cosmetic product placed on the European market is safe for consumer use. When applied under reasonably or normally foreseeable conditions of use, it requires these cosmetics products to cause no damage to human health.
Safety is the guiding principle expected from every cosmetic manufacturer particularly in everything they do across their innovations, their research and development and their operations. In all reasonably foreseeable conditions, the EU Cosmetics Regulation helps to check the packaging and labeling, products’ mode of usage, products formulation, and its disposal.
