Federation of Beauty Companies targets regulatory simplification between France and EU

01 May 2024 --- The Federation of Beauty Companies (FEBEA) is proposing three measures relating to manufacturing and packaging standards and streamlining regulations in the cosmetics sector in response to the French government’s call for a slash in business bureaucracy. 

The “simplification action plan,” recently introduced by Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire, features 52 measures to overhaul government, regulation and legislation systems. It seeks to accelerate and simplify business procedures by reducing litigation risk and supporting less punishment.

The main goal of FEBEA’s recommendations is to bring French and European laws into line for cosmetic companies, which it believes will increase their competitiveness and facilitate eco-friendly transitions.

From dematerialization to digitalization
The government reports that 81% of French citizens believe standards have become more complicated, 90% believe they are not situation-appropriate and 82% believe enough information does not support them. Meanwhile, 50% of businesses claim that complexity forced them to forfeit government assistance from which they could have profited.

Meanwhile, FEBEA finds that cosmetic companies face challenges with the extensive information required on product packaging. Businesses frequently have to make expensive packaging changes to comply with changing regulations, which causes financial strain and environmental issues. For instance, it thinks companies must discard old packaging when the new European Regulation on Packaging comes into force.

Moreover, FEBEA notes that adding new information to packaging labels risks illegibility for end-users while listing allergens can be duplicated when detailing how composition structures can evolve over time. It asks: “How can this be reflected on packaging in a readable and agile way for the consumer?”

The main goal of FEBEA’s recommendations is to bring French and European laws into line for cosmetic companies.As a solution, the organization suggests transitioning to digital platforms for communicating such information to consumers. It contends that digitalization better aligns with environmental goals and caters to multilingual markets, which import 70% of French cosmetics. Further, it notes that the “dematerialization of information” fits the environmental objectives of public authorities.

FEBEA also argues that since 50% of cosmetics are small — less than 20 ml — not all required information can be featured. So, dematerialization can reduce the need for secondary packaging. It believes digitalization can be extended to cosmetics, as it is used in the wine industry. 

EU and French bureaucracy burdens
The differences between French and European regulations present challenges for cosmetic companies, according to FEBEA, particularly regarding definitions of terms like “biodegradable” and requirements for packaging reuse. 

For instance, France’s AGEC law (anti-waste law for a circular economy) bans biodegradable claims even if official standards test the product formula. However, FEBEA underscores that certain EU laws can authorize using the claim, even though the Green Claims Directive was introduced earlier this year.

FEBEA suggests transitioning to digital platforms for communicating product labels to consumers.Furthermore, FEBEA flags French companies’ obligations to reuse packaging, implemented in January 2023, but there are concerns about inconsistency due to the EU’s upcoming packaging regulation.

The organization urges its government to harmonize French laws with European directives to eliminate confusion and prevent waste due to contradictory texts.

Freedom to choose
According to FEBEA, maintaining the current optional certification system for manufacturing cosmetic products is critical. It opposes the government’s proposal to make voluntary compliance certification mandatory for all cosmetic companies despite “facing strict manufacturing and packaging standards.”

Further, it flags the obligation only to affect French companies, not EU players. “FEBEA, therefore, requests the withdrawal of this project and the maintenance of the current system.”

“To successfully complete their environmental transition and plan their investments, cosmetic companies must benefit from a climate of legal stability,” explains Emmanuel Guichard, general delegate of FEBEA. 

“However, they face a constant inflation of new, often contradictory, obligations. This causes considerable waste and weighs on their competitiveness. We hope that the public authorities will hear our proposals, which are easy to implement and at no cost to the community.”

By Venya Patel