The experts of the European Committee for Cosmetics and Consumer Health (CD-P-COS) and the members of the Network of Official Cosmetics Control Laboratories (OCCLs) held a virtual meeting on 22 and 23 June to define steps for advancing consumer protection in Europe and for reinforcing cross-border co-operation and independent cosmetics testing. The meeting also marked the 10th anniversary of the Network of Official Cosmetics Control Laboratories (OCCLs), which supports laboratories across Europe and beyond in developing their market surveillance and enhancing product testing capacity.
The OCCL Network began operations in 2010 with nine official laboratories. Today it comprises over 50, based in 29 countries in Europe and beyond. Its database for analytical methods applied in cosmetics testing now contains more than 600 entries, of which 515 for physico-chemical testing, 100 for microbiological testing and 16 for biological testing. More than 20 major collaborative projects have been carried out within the network, covering UV filters in sunscreen products, parabens in lipsticks, allergens in lotions, “perfume-free” cosmetics and cosmetics for children.
On the margins of the meeting, Susanne Keitel, Director of the EDQM, expressed satisfaction with the achievements: “Over these 10 years we have strengthened consumer safeguards, based on cross-border collaboration, benchmarking product quality and safety, data sharing, quality management and training. The EDQM now looks forward to more cosmetics testing laboratories joining us in our mission of ensuring the broadest level of consumer safety in Europe and beyond.”
To mark the occasion, the EDQM, acting as the Secretariat of the network, launched a series of new web pages, which present some of the OCCLs’ achievements and showcase the latest methodological advancements in the field of cosmetics testing in Europe and further afield.
Read the press release “Ten years at the service of consumer safety in Europe: over 600 analytical methods for cosmetics testing, 20 studies, 50 laboratories and more expected to join”.
For more information on the European Network of Official Cosmetic Control Laboratories (OCCLs).
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