The European cosmetics industry fully supports the objectives of the GCD and the recently adopted Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECD). The new rules brought by GCD and ECD will be key to fight greenwashing practices and create a level playing field as well as provide legal clarity among traders. They will help ensure consumers are provided with trustworthy, relevant, and transparent information about the sustainability of the products and services they choose.
The GCD is particularly important for the cosmetics industry because claims play a crucial role in differentiating cosmetic products from each other, stimulating innovation, and fostering competition.
Cosmetics Europe welcomes the Council’s General Approach which empowers the European Commission to establish, through secondary legislation, a simplified procedure for certain environmental claims. However, Cosmetics Europe calls for clear implementing rules regarding these claims to be established within the primary legislation, and not through secondary legislative acts.
Cosmetics Europe supports the principle that environmental impact information on products should be clear, transparent, and comparable, hence, based on a robust footprint methodology, and believes that such information can help consumers make more sustainable choices. Cosmetics Europe also supports the Council’s decision to allow new private labels and aggregated scoring systems to be used, if they provide added value to the consumer. However, we call for aggregated scoring systems to be allowed temporarily until a dedicated EU law formalising them is adopted. During this interim time, we believe that aggregated scoring systems should be allowed provided these systems are underpinned by robust scientific methodologies.
Finally, we welcome the fact that an exhaustive analysis is to be conducted by the European Commission regarding the impact of a potential ban of claims for products containing hazardous substances. Cosmetics Europe would be pleased to proactively collaborate with the European Commission on this analysis.
Cosmetics Europe will continue to engage in a constructive dialogue with policy makers to ensure a workable and efficient system for the consumers and the industry.
Read our previous statements on the subject;
Cosmetics Europe welcomes the European Parliament’s position on the Green Claims Directive
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Cosmetics Europe is the European trade association for the cosmetics and personal care industry. Our members include cosmetics and personal care manufacturers as well as associations representing our industry at national level, right across Europe.
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