Should the cosmetics industry ask the European Commission to review the Regulation, so that the notion of benefits provided by cosmetics is recognized? The idea was discussed at the Cosmetic Europe Week held on June 13-17 in Brussels, among a working group on the fringe of the plenary session. Here is our report.
As a conclusion to his presentation of the background of this proposal (See our article, ‘ Recognizing the benefits of cosmetics: the background ’), Jean-Paul Deschene, of Colgate Palmolive’s Regulatory Department, reiterated the issue of the debate: the cosmetics industry wants to be able to claim the beneficial effects of its products on people’s health. To this aim, will the definition of a cosmetic product do, or should the European Commission be asked to change it? Should the fact that cosmetic products have a physiological effect be recognized, and what might the implications be?
A new definition?
To Gerald Renner, of Cosmetics Europe, the definition of a cosmetic product set out in Regulation 1223/2009 is quite broad, and it can cover many different effects, in particular via the secondary function of the product. ‘Protecting and keeping in good condition’ may cover the reduction of risk of a disease.
The problem probably has more to do with harmonizing the way these terms are interpreted in Europe. And it might rather be the definitions laid down in related regulations (in particular that on drugs) that induce different interpretations: only changing the definition in the Cosmetics Regulation might not be enough to change …
