In France, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) is not the only authority competent for cosmetics. The DGCCRF can also program inquiries and perform checks of the market and of companies. Axel Thonier, the Deputy Director for Industry, Health, Housing in the DGCCRF, has given many pieces of information during a meeting, organized by the French FEBEA, on 21 January 2013, with the control authorities. A focus on the cosmetic activities, past and to-come, of this authority.
As a preamble, Axel Thonier reminded the audience of the frame of the DGCCRF (General Directorate for Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control) action.
Its missions come in three areas:
• Competitive regulation of the markets,
• Information and protection of the consumer,
• The safety of products and services.
With a Paris-based head office, and branches all over France, including the French overseas areas, the DGCCRF is well established for its duty.
The DGCCRF may use several legal texts for its work:
• The European Union Treaty and its regulations,
• The Commercial Code, for the competition law (Livre IV),
• The Consumer Code,
• The Public Procurement Code,
• Some parts of other codes (Public Health, Social Security, Occupational, Works, Intellectual Property…).
Inquiries may be programmed at three levels:
• National inquiries are planned for a year, on the country level, after the Strategic National Directive (DNO, in French), based on specific criteria, such as the European obligations, a new law, complaints sent the DGCCRF, the nature of products, the conclusions from previous inquiries, etc. When dealing with cosmetics, there is coordination with the ANSM.
• Regional inquiries, controls of the placing on the market by manufacturers, …
