CONSUMER POLICY

On 13 February 2014 the Commission launched a public consultation on fragrance allergens which will last until 14 of May 2014. Following the scientific opinion on contact allergens in cosmetic products the Commission invites interested stakeholders to express their opinion on its proposal to:

1) subject new substances to the labelling obligation,
2) ban the three substances (HICC, atranol and chloroatranol ) which were found unsafe,
3) continue scientific work in order to establish safe concentration levels for the substances of special concern.

The Commission is also proposing transitional periods for these measures, in order to give time for the necessary adjustments.

It is estimated that 1% to 3% of Europe’s population suffers from skin allergies caused by fragrances. Since 1999 there have been about 1,500 reported cases of fragrance allergy to HICC and between 100 and 1000 cases for each of the other two substances (atranol and chloroatranol).

The measures that the Commission is proposing are aimed to protect consumers against fragrance allergens while preserving the competitive edge of the European fragrance industry. Therefore, these measures keep the balance between the aspects related to the consumer protection and information, on the one hand, and the social and economic impact of the measures, on the other.

In June 2012 the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) issued an updated opinion on contact allergens in cosmetic products in which it: updated the list of fragrance allergens which should be labelled; identified 12 chemicals and 8 natural extracts of special concern for which a limit of concentration would be fixed and indicated that three fragrance allergens: HICC, atranol and chloroatranol are not safe for use in cosmetics.

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