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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Fragrance allergens labelling

The Commission services are discussing labelling additional fragrance allergens on cosmetic products.

According to Article 19 (1) Regulation No. 1223/2009 (cosmetics regulation), cosmetic products should list their ingredients on the packaging. However, perfume aromatic compositions and their raw materials are referred to as ‘parfum’ or ‘aroma’. Substances for which the cosmetics regulation provides individual labelling are an exception to this terminology. At the moment, 26 fragrance allergens are subject to individual labelling (annex III of the cosmetics regulation).

In response to the Commission services’ request for an update, the scientific committee on consumer safety (SCCS), gave an opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (SCCS/1459/11) on 26-27 June 2012. In it, the SCCS stated that consumers should be informed about additional fragrance ingredients in cosmetic products, on top of those 26 already subject to individual labelling.

Latest

A study on fragrance allergen labelling on cosmetic products that was commissioned by the European Commission was published in December 2020.

Final report: Impact assessment study on fragrance labelling on cosmetic products

Executive summary: Impact assessment study on fragrance labelling on cosmetic products

Public consultations and impact assessments on fragrance allergens labelling

On 12 November 2019, a public consultation on fragrance allergens was launched, that ran until 13 February 2020, as part of consultations for a study prepared by a consultant.

On 5 December 2018, we published an inception impact assessment on fragrance allergens labelling. The deadline for comments was 2 January 2019.

In the public consultation of 2014, the Commission proposed to amend annex III to the cosmetics regulation by obligating additional contact allergens to be labelled individually.