Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Definition And Roles Of The EU Cosmetics Regulation Responsible Person

By Ines Flores


In July 2013, the European Union enforced a new set of regulations to replace the ec76/768. The purpose of the regulations is to govern the manufacturing, labeling and supply of cosmetic products. The new set of laws, unified the definition of cosmetics, labeling and ingredients which went a long way to abolish trade barriers among member countries in the Union. It also defined an EU cosmetics regulation responsible person to have legal obligations as the brand owner.

According to the new legislation, a responsible person or RP is someone with an address in the Union and is responsible for handling all documentation regarding the product. Such documents include the Product Information File or simply the PIF. This particular document should be accurate, up to date and confidential. It should also comprehensively cover the procedure for handling customer complaints.

The term responsible person is legal for an individual or group such as a company with certain pre-described obligation towards a product. It can be an individual agent in the European Union of the manufacturing company is based outside the European Union. Alternatively, the term may refer to the manufacturing company itself if based in the Union or one which orders the products manufacture. Also, the company involved in direct importation may play the role.

The role of RP cannot be emphasized enough. For manufacturers based outside the Union, the individuals provide the only way for their products to reach the EU market. This is because only goods with a designated natural or legal RP can be imported into the Union. Also, the individual ought to be identifiable with legal obligations.

Some of the obligations of a responsible individual are to report any significant negative effects of the goods to the relevant national authorities. The individual should also notify the CPNP before the goods are placed in European Union Market. If the products contain nano materials, he or she should notify the Commission 6 months before the product reaches the market.

The RP is also obligated to ascertain the safety and compliance with regulations of products entering the market. They ought to report products which pose a serious health risk to the relevant bodies. Besides, they ought to work together with the competent authorities to rectify the problem. Such authorities also help to gather information about products from users and health officers and share it with the other member states.

Both the government and the business benefit from the RP. On one hand, the business has a single contact point to handle any issues pertaining regulation in the member states. In addition, the RP helps to compile and update important business documents such as the PIF so that the cosmetic goods reach the market faster. Also, the individual ensures that cosmetic goods comply with the set legislation to keep the business out of trouble.

The fact that there is one person to respond to crisis and questions makes it easier for the company to respond to emergency situations. Also, the government is able to trace one person compared to the whole company in case of emergencies. Even when importers change, the RP remains the same so that there is no need for re-notifications and reprinting of labels. Thus, the government saves time and money.




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