The Cosmetics Directive is the overall piece of EC legislation that regulates the manufacture and placing on the market of cosmetic products. Its main aim is to ensure that cosmetics are not harmful under normal or foreseeable conditions of use. Adopted by the European Union in 1976, it has since been substantially revised 7 times.

The EU Cosmetics Directive has been amended almost 50 times since 1976 to improve the content of the text. The Commission has launched a stakeholder consultation to collect comments, views and suggestions on a future modern regulatory framework for cosmetic products placed on the EU-market.

For more on the simplification of the Cosmetics Directive, click here:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/cosmetics/