Notification is required for all cosmetics intended for sale in the EU prior to their market launch. This is stipulated by Article 13 of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009.
Cosmetic products already registered in line with different countries’ systems in the past have to be resubmitted for notification.
The notification is sent electronically to the European Commission. The information about the cosmetic product including its formulation is made available to national poison control centres. In addition, information about a cosmetic product, aside from the formulation, is made available to the competent authorities for the purposes of monitoring products.
The EU has created a dedicated website, the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP), which enables companies to submit product data and to continually keep this information up to date.
You should have the following data at hand when carrying out product notification using the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal:
Cosmetics containing nanomaterials represent a special situation. These products require notification six months in advance of the product’s market launch. The existing Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP) was augmented for the purpose of supplying notification of nanomaterials. The database requires the following information:
The only nanomaterial-containing cosmetics exempt from this more extensive form of notification are those used as colorants, UV filters or preservatives and which have received authorisation via the corresponding annexes to the cosmetics regulation. The European Commission’s objective is to ensure a high level of protection of human health.
