Reducing Regulatory Burden for Business

A competitive industry is essential for ensuring the EU’s continued growth and its relevance as a global economic and political power. The EU cosmetics sector – a global leader and innovator – stands ready to continue investing in circularity, innovation, skills, and sustainable product design. However, Europe’s ability to lead globally depends on a regulatory environment that enables – not hinders – progress.

Cosmetics companies face a rapidly expanding set of requirements under numerous key legislative files , including the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) or the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Each of these frameworks plays a critical role in supporting Europe’s objectives and values. However, taken together, they also generate significant cumulative compliance costs and administrative complexity, sometimes aggravated by erroneous implementation of legal principles or by disregarding sector-specific features.

To maintain Europe’s industrial strength and remain a competitive, value-driven actor in an increasingly fragmented global stage, it is key that regulations become more predictable and more proportionate. Reducing unnecessary administrative burden is not about lowering standards; it is about freeing resources so that companies can invest in greener technologies and generational renewal of skills, accelerate innovation, and compete on global markets. Streamlined, coherent legislation is therefore a prerequisite for achieving the EU’s circular economy agenda.

Cosmetics Europe is committed to contributing with practical, solutions‑oriented proposals to support this effort. In that spirit, we present a set of targeted recommendations to optimise the EU acquis. Through this initiative, we aim to help ensure that the EU regulatory system gives companies the clarity they need to be competitive and rewards sustainable business models. Please find Cosmetics Europe’s specific proposals to reduce regulatory burden for business here.