Saturday 31 January 2015

The Duties Of EU Cosmetics Regulation Responsible Person

By Ines Flores


A new set of cosmetic regulations was unveiled in the European Union. The new legislation sought to redefine the process of manufacturing, supply and labeling of cosmetic goods. Effective since July 2013, the new legislation replaced the ec76/768. It also unifies the members of the Union through getting rid of trade barriers by unifying laws about ingredients and labeling. Additionally, the new law describes EU cosmetics regulation responsible person.

The new law defines a responsible person (RP) as who has an address in this Union and is legally bound to hold all the product documentation. The most important documentation the individual is responsible for the safety assessment in a Product Information File. The individual is required by law to maintain the document, compliance with EU legislation and have a comprehensive procedure for handling customer complaints.

The term is a legal jargon referring to anyone individual or group with legal responsibilities towards the safety of a product. They can be the company involved in manufacturing the cosmetic product or one which orders its manufacture. Additionally, it can be an agent of a manufacturing company based outside the European Union. If there is no agent for such a manufacturer, the company importing the goods directly to the Union takes the role of a responsible individual.

The role of a RP is very crucial especially for manufacturers not located within the Union. They make it possible to legally import goods as only those with a designated legal or natural individual can be imported. The law requires that the individual is identifiable in a precise and concise manner to 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 safety and compliance of products entering the market should be ascertained by the RP. In case, any of them is potentially harmful to human health, the RP should report it to relevant competent bodies. In addition, the RP should help in rectifying the problem. Such authorities are mandated to collect information from users and share it with other EU member states.

The government and business stand to benefit from the RP. For a business, having one to serve as the contact point for any issues regarding regulation is good for business. Besides, the fact that they handle the compilation and updating of business documents ensures that the products get to the market promptly. The business also stays out of trouble as there is someone whose sole purpose is to ensure compliance.

Furthermore, an RP represents the company and handles any crisis or questions on behalf of the company. For the government, an RP makes it easier to keep track of goods in the market. In addition, even If there is a change in importers, the individual remains the same so that there is no need for re-notifications and reprinting of labels. This makes it easy to keep consumers safe.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment