The third time has been successful. After two unsuccessful attempts in 2009 and 2010, the tax on cosmetics, introduced in the 2012 financial law on Social Security in France by an amendment from Sen. Alain Milon (UMP) passed at the final reading by the French Parliament, on 29 November 2011.
December 1th, 2011
Cosmeticobs-L’Observatoire des Cosmétiques
has already written on 18 November
about this "Milon amendment", which worries cosmetic industries.
The law imposes "on everybody who makes the first sale in France" of cosmetics (understand: manufacturers and importers) a tax at the rate of 0.1% of the revenues due to this products.
Beneficiary of this new tax: the French Agency on sanitary safety of products for health (Afssaps). Reason: they have to help to finance the Agency, especially on the grounds they pay for the cosmetovigilance system put in place to report on the undesirable effects of cosmetic products.
This tax passed, after several shuttles between the two chambers of the Parliament, included in the financial law on Social Security.
Beyond the underlying problems of this text (does it make sense that funding the Agency be, even partly, by the cosmetic industry, when its independence from pharmaceutical companies is questioned?), the question is: what will be the impact of this tax on companies and/or on the prices of cosmetics bought by consumers?
Which impact on the market of cosmetics?
No reaction yet by the French Association of Beauty Companies (Febea): it has chosen to wait for the final promulgation, just …
