Cosmetic claims are in respite. What if their status was about to change? What if they were as strictly structured and regulated as claims in the food industry? This was the central topic of the 23 June 2014 conference held by FEBEA (France’s Federation of Beauty Companies) on advertising in cosmetics. And there were calls for self-regulation to avoid the worst. Claims: to be consumed with moderation?
A quick review of the context: Article 20 of Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009, which addresses product claims, states that the European Commission will ensure compliance with a list of Common Criteria (those of Regulation 655/2013), which justify their use. This will take the form of a report presented to the European Parliament by 11 July 2016 at the latest.
So what? Article 20 specifies that ‘if the report concludes that claims used in respect of cosmetic products are not in conformity with the common criteria, the Commission shall take appropriate measures to ensure compliance in cooperation with the Member States.’
To date, we do not have a clear idea of what such ‘appropriate measures’ might be. But there is a strong fear that Parliament might follow the example of the food industry and apply it to cosmetic product claims. And this is no laughing matter – it is a true ball and chain that the cosmetics industry would do well to avoid.
At the conference, called ‘Cosmetics advertising and creativity: a delicate combination,’ FEBEA drew attention to the imminent danger hanging over cosmetic product claims. Aude Paulmyer-Aubert and Emmanuelle Couic-Dubois (Unilever) were invited to give a presentation on the rules governing …
