Regulation of Cosmetics in Germany

Germany is one of the member states of the European Union, which must implement by their respective competent authorities the new EU regulation on cosmetics - EC No 1223/2009 - officially published on 22 December 2009, which became the first step towards the harmonization of cosmetic regulations in all EU countries.

In Germany, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV), the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) are responsible for the supervision of cosmetics. As a result of the political restructuring of the 18th German Bundestag in December 2013, the "Consumer Protection" department was transferred to the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection(BMJV).

Department responsibilities

The federal and state governments are responsible for implementing various regulatory measures and establishing relevant institutions. The state is managed at three levels, and the highest authority at the state level is responsible for supervising, establishing and promulgating regulations; Intermediate institutions are responsible for service and professional supervision; Grass-root institutions are responsible for the specific affairs of food supervision, such as inspection and sampling.

In Germany, the monitoring of cosmetics is the responsibility of the federal states. In the cosmetics law, the regulatory authority has various tasks, some of which are different in different countries:

• Local regulators: The control of enterprises and trade is usually carried out by local authorities. These regional regulators are familiar with the region, but must cover large product areas with different legal standards.
• Chemical Investigation Office: For more detailed inspection of company and product documents, experts must be consulted, such as those from the Chemical Investigation Office.
• FIU: In some countries, tasks related to reporting obligations are centrally organized. In this way, we can better understand the situation in the country, provide more in-depth suggestions, and conduct inspections, when necessary, because this enables employees to work more professionally.

Laws that Germany Enforces for Cosmetics

• Lebensmittel - und Bedarfsgegenstaendegesetz
• Kosmetik - Verordnung
• EC No 1223/2009 (EU)

Definition of "Cosmetic Product"

The definition of cosmetics is common to all EU member states (Article 2 of the Cosmetics Regulations). Cosmetics are "substances or mixtures intended to contact human surface parts (epidermis, hair and capillary system, nails, lips and external genitalia) or teeth and oral mucosa, with the sole or main purpose of cleaning, flavoring, changing appearance, protecting, maintaining good condition or correcting body odor".

Notification system

In Germany, the ingredients of cosmetic products must be transmitted to the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) for fast and effective treatment in the event of a health disorder. This information is then transmitted to the German Poison Control Centre, which advises the treating physician on appropriate measures in case of emergency based on the prescribed information.

The EU Cosmetics Regulation provides for a central notification system for cosmetic notifications through a central notification portal, the Cosmetic Notification Portal (CPNP).

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