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Europe: New Harmonised Natural & Organic Cosmetic
Standards Launched
After
several years of discussions, the major certification agencies in Europe
have finally reached an agreement on harmonising their private standards
for natural & organic cosmetics.
Soil Association (UK), BDiH (Germany), Ecocert (France), Cosmebio
(France), ICEA (Italy) and Ecogarantie (Belgium) have developed common
standards for natural and organic cosmetics. The first draft of the new
Cosmos standard has been released for public consultation. The final
draft will be drawn in January and certification of products will begin
in April 2009.
The agreement sets minimum standards for natural cosmetics and organic
cosmetics, however the agencies will still be able to develop separate
standards as long as the baselines are met. The move is analogous to
what has occurred in the organic food industry where the EU has minimum
standards for organic agriculture and food products.
Organic Monitor sees harmonisation of standards as an important
development, since the private standards of the agencies involved are
the most widely adopted in the natural cosmetics industry. These
agencies represent more than 1,000 companies and over 11,000 certified
products. The major advantage of the new standards is that they will
prevent re-certification and facilitate regional trade of natural &
organic cosmetics. However, a major drawback is that companies will have to
re-formulate and re-label existing products to adopt the new standards.
It was once hoped that the much-awaited European standards would pave
the way for a possible common global standard. However, the lengthy
discussions have led to the emergence of new standards in Europe and
North America. In Europe, NaTrue is gaining momentum since its initial
announcement in November last year. Its natural &
organic cosmetic standards have received the backing of some of the
leading international brands. Across the Atlantic, initiatives like NSF,
OASIS and NPA are gaining ground. With similar developments occurring in
Latin America and the Asia-Pacific, the goal of a
common global standard could eventually become a distant memory.
Natural Cosmetic Workshops & Summits
With a
plethora of natural & organic cosmetic standards being introduced,
cosmetic manufacturers, formulators and ingredient companies are
questioning the differences between these standards and their practical
implications. Organic Monitor has launched a series
of
workshops & seminars to navigate
companies through the maze of natural & organic cosmetic standards,
looking specifically at the technical, formulation and ingredient issues
involved.
The
next such event is the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, taking place in
Paris, 18-20th October 2010. It will bring together some of the most
influential organisations involved in sustainability in the beauty
industry, including the leading certification agencies for natural &
organic cosmetics.
Related Event:
Sustainable Cosmetics Summit (Paris,
18-20 October 2010)
Related Report:
#8041-11
Technical Insights: Natural & Organic Cosmetic Standards,
A Critical
Assessment
Posted: November 14th 2008
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