EU Cosmetics Responsible Person: who must be yours, and what it answers for
A marketplace, a buyer or a lab asks for your EU cosmetics responsible person, and you sell from outside the EU.
A cosmetic may be sold in the EU only if a person established there is its responsible person. From outside the EU, you contract one by written mandate, they accept in writing, their name and address go on the label.
A cosmetic product may be placed on the EU market only if a legal or natural person is designated within the Community as its responsible person (Cosmetics Regulation Art. 4(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). For a product made in the EU and not exported and brought back, that is the manufacturer established there, which may hand the role by written mandate to a person established in the EU who accepts in writing (Art. 4(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.); where the manufacturer is outside the EU, it must designate such a person by written mandate (Art. 4(4)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). EU-made stock that leaves the EU and comes back is an imported product (Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). For an imported product, each importer is the responsible person and may hand the role on in the same way (Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.); an importer is a person established in the EU (Art. 2(1)(i)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (i)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). A distributor that sells under its own name or trademark becomes the responsible person (Art. 4(6)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). A seller outside the EU is none of these, so it contracts a person established in the EU, by written mandate accepted in writing. The responsible person ensures compliance with the safety duty, good manufacturing practice, the safety assessment and report, the product information file, the CPNP notification, the substance rules, the animal-testing ban, the label, claims, public information, serious undesirable effects and information on substances (Art. 5(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). It corrects, withdraws or recalls a non-conforming product at once and tells the authorities where there is a risk to health (Art. 5(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.), and it hands authorities the documents they ask for, in a language they easily understand (Art. 5(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Its name and address go on the container and the packaging, with the country of origin for an imported product (Art. 19(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). It is not the GPSR responsible person: GPSR Art. 16Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. does not apply to a cosmetic (GPSR Art. 2(1)(b)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (b)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.), and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 Art. 4Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. does not cover it (Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., recital 22). Great Britain has its own, UK-established responsible person (GOV.UK).
The responsible person is the one person in the EU that a cosmetic product is linked to under the Cosmetics Regulation, Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.. Without one, the product may not be placed on the market (Art. 4(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Selling from outside the EU, you cannot be it yourself.
What you do:
- Settle that the product is a cosmetic (Art. 2(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). The test and the border cases are in the EU Cosmetics Regulation guide.
- Look for a responsible person you already have. A company of yours in the EU that makes the product is the responsible person, unless the stock leaves the EU and comes back, which makes it an imported product (Art. 4(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). So is an EU importer that places your product on the market (Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Then you buy nothing, and that company needs your safety report and file.
- If neither exists, contract a person established in the EU, a company or an individual, to be the responsible person. The designation is by written mandate, and that person accepts in writing (Art. 4(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.-(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). What to put in the mandate is below.
- Before the first sale, hand over what the responsible person needs: the formula and ingredient data, the method of manufacture, proof of any claim, animal-testing data and the label. The responsible person has the product safety-assessed and the report set up, holds the product information file, and notifies the product in the CPNP (Art. 10(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 10, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 13(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 13, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
- Print the responsible person’s name and address on the container and the packaging. Where several addresses show, highlight the one where the product information file is kept. For an imported product, add the country of origin (Art. 19(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
- Selling to Great Britain too, you need a second responsible person, one with a UK address. An EU one does not cover it (GOV.UK).
Who must be the responsible person when you sell from outside the EU
The Regulation answers by where the product is made and who brings it in. EU-made stock that leaves the EU and comes back is imported, so the third row applies to it, not the first two (Art. 4(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 4(4)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). The recital behind it is short: “each cosmetic product should be linked to a responsible person established within the Community” (recital 11, Official Journal text).
| Your situation | Responsible person | Can it be handed on? | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| The product is made in the EU and not exported and brought back, and you are the manufacturer established there | You | Yes, by written mandate to a person established in the EU who accepts in writing | Art. 4(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| The product is made in the EU and not exported and brought back, and you are the manufacturer outside it | A person established in the EU that you designate | It must be: written mandate, accepted in writing | Art. 4(4)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| The product is made outside the EU, and an EU business imports it | Each importer, for the products it places on the market | Yes, by written mandate to a person established in the EU who accepts in writing | Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| The product is made outside the EU, and you ship it to EU buyers yourself | A person established in the EU that you contract. The articles do not name who designates; the product still may not go on the market without one | Written mandate, accepted in writing | Art. 2(1)(i)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (i)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 4(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| An EU distributor sells it under its own name or trademark, or changes it in a way that can affect compliance | That distributor | Translating the label is not such a change | Art. 4(6)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
The fourth row is the one a seller outside the EU is in. The Regulation defines an importer as a person “established within the Community” who places a product from a third country on the market (Art. 2(1)(i)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (i)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). A business outside the EU that ships to EU buyers has no importer in the EU behind it, and Art. 4(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. still allows only products with a responsible person to be placed on the market. A product offered online counts as made available in the EU once the offer is targeted at EU end users (Art. 6Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020). So you contract a responsible person in the EU before the first sale.
Who qualifies:
- A legal or natural person. A company or an individual (Art. 4(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
- Established in the EU. The articles that name the designated person say “established within the Community” (Art. 4(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.-(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Recital 11 says the same. A company in the UK, the US or China is not one.
- One for the whole EU. Article 4 asks for a person “within the Community”, not one per country. One notification in the CPNP covers every EU country (European Commission, CPNP).
- Not your marketplace, your carrier or your fulfilment centre by that fact alone. Article 4 lists the manufacturer, the importer, a person designated by written mandate and a distributor selling under its own name. It has no entry for a fulfilment service provider, which the general EU-based-operator rule names in its own list (Art. 4(2)(d)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 2, point (d)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020); that list does not cover cosmetics (Art. 4(5)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). A fulfilment company that is also the importer is the responsible person as an importer, not as a fulfilment company.
What to put in the written mandate
The Regulation asks for two things: a written mandate, and the written acceptance of the person designated (Art. 4(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.-(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). It sets no model text and no minimum content. What to put in it follows from what the designated person then owes, article by article:
| The duty of the responsible person | What to put in it | Law |
|---|---|---|
| It is the responsible person for each product it covers | A list of the products, one by one, with the formula of each. The duties run per product | Art. 4(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| A safety assessment and report before the first sale | The data for Part A of the report, and the means to have Part B signed by a qualified assessor | Art. 10(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 10, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 10(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 10, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Annex I |
| A product information file at its address, for ten years after the last batch | The documents of the file, and a clause on what happens to the file when the mandate ends | Art. 11(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| The CPNP notification, with a physical contact person, kept up to date | The right to notify and update in its own name, and the name of the contact person | Art. 13(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 13, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 13(7)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 13, paragraph 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Serious undesirable effects, reported without delay | A duty on you to pass on every complaint and every case of harm you learn of | Art. 23(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 23, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Corrective action, withdrawal or recall, at once | The power to take that action for the products it covers, throughout the EU, without waiting for you | Art. 5(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 25(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 25, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Documents to an authority, in a language it easily understands | Who pays for the translation | Art. 5(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Its name and address on the container and the packaging | The approved label, before printing, with the country of origin for an imported product, and a rule for relabelling when the mandate ends | Art. 19(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
Nothing in Articles 4Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and 5Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. lets the mandate give the designated person some of the duties and leave others with the manufacturer. Article 5Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. lists the duties of “responsible persons”, and the label carries one name, the responsible person’s (Art. 5(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 19(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). You supply the data; the designated person answers for the product.
What the responsible person answers for
The responsible person ensures compliance with Articles 3Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 8Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 8Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 10Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 10Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. to 18Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 18Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 19(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., (2) and (5), and Articles 20Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 20Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 21Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 21Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 23Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 23Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and 24Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 24Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. (Art. 5(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). In plain words:
| Duty | What it means | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | The product is safe for human health under normal or reasonably foreseeable use, taking account of presentation, labelling, instructions and anything the responsible person says about it | Art. 3Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Good manufacturing practice | The product is made to it. It is presumed where the manufacture follows the harmonised standards published in the Official Journal | Art. 8Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 8Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Safety report | Before the product goes on the market it has undergone a safety assessment and a report is set up under Annex I. A qualified assessor signs Part B. The report is kept up to date after the first sale | Art. 10Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 10Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Product information file | Description, the report, the method of manufacture and a good-practice statement, proof of any effect claimed, and the animal-testing data. Kept readily accessible at the address on the label, for ten years after the last batch | Art. 11Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Sampling and analysis | Done in a reliable and reproducible manner | Art. 12Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 12Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| CPNP notification | Before the product goes on the market, with the label and a photograph of the pack at placing. A product with a nanomaterial outside the annexes is notified six months earlier as well. Updated without delay. The CPNP guide has every field | Art. 13Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 13Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 16Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 16Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Substances | Nothing from the prohibited lists, restricted substances within their limits, no CMR substance without an exception, traces only where technically unavoidable. The lists are in EU cosmetics banned substances | Art. 14Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 14Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 15Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 15Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 17Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 17Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Animal testing | No product whose final formulation or ingredients were tested on animals to meet this Regulation where a validated alternative method has been adopted, and no such tests in the EU | Art. 18Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 18Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Label | The seven items on the container and the packaging, its own name and address first and, for an imported product, the country of origin, and the language rules of each EU country. The authority’s list adds the ingredient names of Art. 19(6)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., which Art. 5(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. does not name | Art. 19(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 19(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 19(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 25(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 25, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Claims | Nothing on the pack, in the listing or in advertising implies a characteristic or function the product does not have. The claims guide has the criteria | Art. 20Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 20Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Information for the public | The qualitative and quantitative composition, and the data on undesirable and serious undesirable effects, made easily accessible, with commercial secrecy protected. The quantitative information is limited to hazardous substances | Art. 21Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 21Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Serious undesirable effects | Notified without delay to the authority of the EU country where the effect occurred: every one it knows or can reasonably be expected to know, the product, and the corrective measures taken | Art. 23(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 23, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Information on substances | On a reasoned request, where there is serious doubt about a substance, a list of its products that contain it, with the concentration | Art. 24Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 24Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Non-conformity | At once: corrective measures, withdrawal or recall. Where there is a risk to human health, it informs the authorities of every EU country where the product was made available and of the country where the file is kept. It cooperates with authorities and hands over documents on a reasoned request | Art. 5(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 5(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
At an authority’s demand it also identifies the distributors it supplies, for three years after the batch reached them (Art. 7Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
The Cosmetics Regulation says nothing about compensation for someone injured by a product. Who pays for that is set by another law, covered in the Product Liability Directive guide.
What your responsible person needs from you before the first sale
The safety report, the file and the notification come before the first sale (Art. 10(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 10, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 13(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 13, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.), so the responsible person needs these from you at the start:
- The formula. Every ingredient with its quantity and function, for the report, the notification and the public information (Annex I, Part A, section 1; Art. 13(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 13, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 21Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 21Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
- The technical data of the report. Physical and chemical characteristics, stability, microbiological quality, impurities, the packaging material, intended use and exposure, and the toxicological data on each substance (Annex I, Part A, sections 2 to 8). The cosmetic product safety report guide goes through them.
- The method of manufacture and a statement of good manufacturing practice (Art. 11(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
- Proof of any effect you claim, where the nature or effect of the product justifies it (Art. 11(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
- Animal-testing data, including any test done to meet the rules of a country outside the EU (Art. 11(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
- The label and the packaging, for the notification and for the name and address on them (Art. 13(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 13, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 19(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
- Every complaint and case of harm, after the first sale, for the report and for the duty to notify (Art. 10(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 10, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 23(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 23, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
How the cosmetics responsible person differs from the GPSR one
Both are called a responsible person, and they are two roles under two laws. A cosmetic product needs the first and has no use for the second.
| Cosmetics responsible person | GPSR responsible person | |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Art. 4Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and Art. 5Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. | GPSR Art. 16Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., which takes Art. 4(2)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and (3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 |
| Applies to | Every cosmetic product placed on the market (Art. 4(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.) | Products GPSR covers. For a product under Union harmonisation legislation, Art. 16Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. does not apply (GPSR Art. 2(1)(b)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (b)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). The Cosmetics Regulation is on that list, at point 35 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (GPSR Art. 3(27)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 3, point 27Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). A cosmetic has no GPSR responsible person |
| Who can hold it | The manufacturer established in the EU; an importer; a person established in the EU designated by written mandate; a distributor selling under its own name | A manufacturer established in the EU; an importer; an authorised representative with a written mandate; an EU fulfilment service provider where none of those is in the EU (Art. 4(2)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020) |
| What it does | Ensures the whole list of Art. 5(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.: safety report, product information file, CPNP notification, label, claims and the rest | Four tasks: the conformity documents, answering authorities, informing them of risk, corrective action (Art. 4(3)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020), plus regular checks against the GPSR technical documentation (GPSR Art. 16(2)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.) |
| Name on the product | Name or registered name and address, on the container and the packaging (Art. 19(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.) | Name, trade name or mark and contact details, including postal and electronic address, on the product, the packaging, the parcel or a document with it (GPSR Art. 16(3)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.) |
| Harm to a user | A serious undesirable effect goes to the authority of the EU country where it occurred (Art. 23(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 23, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.) | An accident goes through the Safety Business Gateway, and the responsible person ensures it where the manufacturer is outside the EU (GPSR Art. 20(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 20, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 20(4)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 20, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). For a cosmetic, Art. 23Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 23Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. covers the serious undesirable effect |
The general EU-based-operator rule, Art. 4Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office., does not cover cosmetics either: its list in Art. 4(5)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. leaves the Cosmetics Regulation out, because that Regulation’s own responsible person achieves the same result (recital 22). So a seller of soap and of a product with no EU law of its own can need both roles, one for each product. Nothing forbids one company from offering both; give each role its own written mandate under its own law. Every EU role with a representative or responsible-person name is compared in EU responsible person vs authorised representative, and the GPSR one in EU responsible person.
What a cosmetics responsible person costs
The free route first. The law makes the responsible person a condition of sale, not a purchase. If your own company established in the EU is the manufacturer, it is the responsible person (Art. 4(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). If an EU importer places the product on the market, it is it (Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). In both cases the safety report and the file still have to exist, and there is no appointment to buy. If you are the manufacturer of a product made in the EU and you sit outside the EU, you designate one (Art. 4(4)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.), and that appointment is what the prices below are for. The CPNP notification itself is free of charge (European Commission, CPNP).
What three vendors publish. Alphabetical, not ranked. Each figure is on that vendor’s own page on 5 October 2026, in its own currency and units. A published price is not a quote.
| Vendor | The responsible person | Safety report and file | CPNP notification |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU Compliance Partner | USD 250 a calendar year per base formula and per market; EU and UK appointments are separate; EU year 2 renewal USD 190 | USD 300 one-off per base formula, for the file and the report | No charge as responsible person |
| Eldris | GBP 195 per market, one-off, then from GBP 19.95 a month. The page counts each EU country and the UK as one market | GBP 195 per formula, GBP 39.95 per variation. The appointment does not produce them | GBP 99 per safety report |
| Euverify | Subscription from GBP 490 a year, EU and/or UK. The page marks the report prices “Subscription required” | From GBP 250 plus VAT per product for 1 to 9 ingredients, GBP 370 for 10 to 29, GBP 465 for 30 or more; includes the file, the label review and the notification | GBP 100 plus VAT per product, if you already hold a report |
What to read in a quote, from the articles:
- The unit. The duties run per product (Art. 4(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Vendors price per formula, per product or per subscription. Convert each quote to your own count of formulas and shades.
- Whether the safety report and the file are inside. The responsible person must have the report set up before the first sale and hold the file at its address (Art. 10(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 10, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). A price that excludes them still leaves that person answerable for them, so someone has to be paid to produce them.
- A per-country line. Article 4Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. asks for a person “within the Community”, not one for each EU country. Separate EU and UK lines are justified, because Great Britain has its own law. Article 4Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office. needs no per-country appointment, so a per-country fee buys nothing the law requires.
- The exit. The name and address are printed on every pack (Art. 19(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Changing the responsible person means a new label and a new CPNP notification. Price the exit before the entry.
What happens if the product has no responsible person
A product with none may not be placed on the market at all (Art. 4(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Where the product breaches one of the duties listed in Art. 25(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 25, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., the authority requires the responsible person to bring the product into conformity, withdraw it or recall it within a time limit, for every unit made available in the EU (Art. 25(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 25, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 25(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 25, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). If that does not happen, or the risk is serious, the authority itself prohibits, restricts, withdraws or recalls the product (Art. 25(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 25, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Each EU country sets the penalties, and they must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive (Art. 37Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 37Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.).
Parcels are checked too. In a 2025 control operation by customs and market surveillance authorities, 5,772 pieces of cosmetics sent from outside the EU directly to EU consumers were checked, and 65% did not comply with EU product standards; the largest share of the non-compliant cosmetics was of Chinese origin, followed by the UK and the US (European Commission). The Commission’s page does not say which rule each product failed. Before any of that, a marketplace collects your details and your self-certification that you offer only compliant products; what it asks for is in DSA trader traceability.
Great Britain needs its own responsible person
The UK left the EU, so a responsible person there is not “established within the Community”. The reverse holds as well: to make cosmetic products available in Great Britain, the responsible person must have a UK established address, and a mail forwarding or PO box address does not count. For Northern Ireland, the responsible person must be established in Northern Ireland or in the EU (GOV.UK). Selling to both markets, you need one responsible person in the EU and one in the UK. Great Britain also has its own notification, covered in the CPNP guide. The UK role is on UK Responsible Person for overseas sellers of cosmetics.
Who owes what
| Role | What it must do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seller outside the EU, product made outside the EU, shipped direct to EU buyers | Cannot be the responsible person. Contracts a person established in the EU by written mandate, which that person accepts in writing, before the first sale. Supplies the data the safety report, the file and the notification need. | Art. 2(1)(i)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (i)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 4(1) |
| Manufacturer established in the EU, product made in the EU and not exported and brought back | Is the responsible person. May designate a person established in the EU by written mandate, accepted in writing. | Art. 4(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Manufacturer outside the EU, product made in the EU and not exported and brought back | Designates a person established in the EU as the responsible person by written mandate, accepted in writing. | Art. 4(4)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Importer established in the EU, including for EU-made stock that left the EU and came back | Is the responsible person for each product it places on the market. May designate a person established in the EU by written mandate, accepted in writing. | Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Distributor selling under its own name or trademark | Becomes the responsible person, with all of Art. 5Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.. Translating the label is not a modification. | Art. 4(6)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
| Responsible person | Ensure compliance with Arts 3, 8, 10 to 18, Art. 19(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., (2) and (5), and Arts 20, 21, 23 and 24. Take corrective action, withdraw or recall a non-conforming product at once, inform the authorities where there is a risk to health, cooperate and hand over documents on a reasoned request. Identify the distributors supplied. | Art. 5Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 7Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. |
What is agreed but not yet law
On 8 July 2025 the Commission proposed amending the Cosmetics Regulation (COM(2025) 531). The proposal inserts a new Article 14a, amends Articles 15Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 15Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 16Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 19(6)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and 22Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 22Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and the annexes, deletes Article 33Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 33Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., and leaves Articles 4Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 5Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 11Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. and 19(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. as they are. Parliament and Council negotiators reached a political agreement on 16 June 2026. It still awaits the legal-linguistic revision, formal adoption and publication in the Official Journal, and it reinstated notification for nanomaterials in cosmetics, which the proposal would have deleted (European Parliament Legislative Train). Until the amending act is published, the Regulation applies as it stands in the consolidated text of .
What the law leaves open
- Who designates the responsible person for a direct sale from outside the EU. Art. 4(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. makes the importer the responsible person, and an importer is a person “established within the Community” (Art. 2(1)(i)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (i)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Art. 4(4)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. covers a manufacturer outside the EU only for a product made inside it. For a product made outside the EU and sent by its maker straight to an EU consumer, no article names who designates. Art. 4(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. is still absolute: no responsible person, no sale. Meanwhile: contract a person established in the EU by written mandate, accepted in writing, as the other paragraphs of Art. 4Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. describe.
- Which “responsible person” goes in a marketplace listing. GPSR Art. 19(b)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19, point (b)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. asks for “the responsible person within the meaning of Article 16(1) of this Regulation or Article 4(1)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office. of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationThe whole regulationClick opens the law on the EU Publications Office.” where the manufacturer is outside the EU. Neither role applies to a cosmetic (GPSR Art. 2(1)(b)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (b)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 4(5)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Meanwhile: the person a cosmetic has in the EU is its Art. 4Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex. responsible person, and that name and address go in the field.
- What happens to the file and the labels when the mandate ends. The Regulation sets no procedure for a change of responsible person. For the notification, the Commission’s CPNP guide gives a route: the old responsible person copies the products to the new one’s account, they arrive as drafts with new CPNP references and without labels or contact persons, and the new responsible person completes and notifies them (CPNP user guide, section 3.1.4). The file is kept “at his address indicated on the label” for ten years after the last batch (Art. 11(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Art. 11(3)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11, paragraph 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.), and the label names the responsible person (Art. 19(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.). Nothing says whether units already placed on the market may keep the old name and address while they sell. Meanwhile: keep the old mandate running until stock carrying its address has sold through, or relabel; have the outgoing responsible person hand the file to the new one in writing.
What you can skip
Sources
20 sources
- Art. 2(1)(a)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (a)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 2(1)(d)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (d)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 2(1)(e)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (e)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 2(1)(h)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (h)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 2(1)(i)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (i)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 2(1)(p)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1, point (p)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (Cosmetics Regulation), consolidated text of 18 May 2026, includes amendments up to Regulation (EU) 2026/909 (documentation only, no legal effect) - definitions: cosmetic product, manufacturer, distributor, placing on the market, importer. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 3Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 3Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 4Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 5Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 6Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 7Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 7Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 8Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 8Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, consolidated text of 18 May 2026 - safety, the responsible person and its obligations, distributors, identification within the supply chain, good manufacturing practice
- Art. 10Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 10Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 11Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 11Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 12Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 12Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 13Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 13Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, consolidated text of 18 May 2026 - safety assessment, product information file, sampling and analysis, notification
- Art. 14Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 14Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 15Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 15Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 16Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 17Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 17Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 18Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 18Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, consolidated text of 18 May 2026 - restricted and prohibited substances, CMR substances, nanomaterials, traces, animal testing
- Art. 19(1)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 19(2)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 2Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 19(5)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 19(6)Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 19, paragraph 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 20Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 20Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 21Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 21Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, consolidated text of 18 May 2026 - labelling, claims, information for the public
- Art. 23Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 23Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 24Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 24Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 25Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 25Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 37Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Cosmetic Products RegulationArticle 37Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, consolidated text of 18 May 2026 - serious undesirable effects, information on substances, non-compliance by the responsible person, penalties
- Annex IRegulation (EC) No 1223/2009, consolidated text of 18 May 2026 - Annex I, the cosmetic product safety report, Part A and Part B
- Recital 11Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as published in the Official Journal, 22 December 2009 - recital 11: each cosmetic product linked to a responsible person established within the Community. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 4(1)-(5)Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 4, paragraphs 1 to 5Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 6Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Market Surveillance RegulationArticle 6Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., Annex IRegulation (EU) 2019/1020 (market surveillance), consolidated text of 12 August 2026 - the EU-based operator for products under certain legislation, the closed list of who may hold it, its tasks, the instruments covered (cosmetics are not among them), distance sales; Annex I, point 35 lists the Cosmetics Regulation. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Recital 22Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 as published in the Official Journal, 25 June 2019 - recital 22: the Article 4 obligations do not apply where Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 achieves the same result. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Art. 2(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 2, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 3(27)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 3, point 27Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 16Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 16Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 19(b)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 19, point (b)Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 20(1)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 20, paragraph 1Click opens the article on EUR-Lex., 20(4)Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety RegulationArticle 20, paragraph 4Click opens the article on EUR-Lex.Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR), consolidated text of 29 May 2026, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/2748 - scope and the parts that do not apply under Union harmonisation legislation (Chapter IIa, Chapter III Section 1, Chapters V, VII and IX to XI); the responsible person; offer information for distance sales; accidents. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Proposal, not law: Art. 2Proposal COM(2025) 531 of 8 July 2025 - amending Regulations (EC) No 1272/2008, (EC) No 1223/2009 and (EU) 2019/1009 as regards simplification: the amendments to the Cosmetics Regulation leave Articles 4, 5, 11 and 19(1)(a) untouched; a proposal, not law. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Parliament tracking page, not lawEuropean Parliament, Legislative Train Schedule, Omnibus VI chemicals (procedure 2025/0531(COD)), page updated 20 September 2026: political agreement of 16 June 2026 on the cosmetics, CLP and fertilising products package, formal adoption pending, notification for nanomaterials in cosmetics reinstated. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Commission guidance, not lawEuropean Commission, Cosmetic product notification portal (CPNP): free of charge, no further national notification within the EU. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Commission user guide, not law: section 3.1.4European Commission, Guide to Using CPNP for Responsible Persons and Distributors - Article 13, last published 18 March 2026: section 3.1.4, copying products to another responsible person. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Commission statistics, not lawEuropean Commission, E-commerce: product compliance and safety - the 2025 customs control operation on goods sent from third countries directly to EU consumers, with cosmetics checked in the second phase. Accessed 2026-10-05
- UK government guidance, not lawGOV.UK, Making cosmetic products available to consumers in Great Britain: a Responsible Person with a UK established address, no mail forwarding or PO box; for Northern Ireland, a Responsible Person established in NI or the EU. Accessed 2026-10-05
- Vendor pricing page, not lawEU Compliance Partner - cosmetics responsible person service, published prices. Vendor pricing page, accessed 2026-10-05
- Vendor pricing page, not lawEldris - cosmetics responsible person, safety report and CPNP prices. Vendor pricing page, accessed 2026-10-05
- Vendor pricing page, not lawEuverify - CPSR, product information file and CPNP prices, and the subscription that includes the responsible person service. Vendor pricing page, accessed 2026-10-05