Read the full article in the June digital edition of C&T magazine.
As 2023 rolls on, many issues are being hotly discussed on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world. While not all topics have reached their conclusion, the CTPA continues to monitor and contribute to debates on behalf of the industry, whether by direct governmental interaction in the UK, via Cosmetics Europe (CE) in the European Union (EU), or globally through the International Associations Collaboration (IAC) network.
UK: Brexit Freedoms Bill
In September 2022, the UK government announced1 the introduction of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) bill (REUL), also known as the Brexit Freedoms bill, aimed at forcing a review of all retained EU legislation. This bill will give the UK government new secondary powers to amend, replace or repeal the retained EU laws with the intention of removing legal restraints and replacing them with frameworks that work for the UK and support the government’s objectives.
The REUL intends to establish a sunset date for EU-derived subordinate legislation and retained direct EU legislation on Dec. 31, 2023, although extensions may be sought until June 23, 2026. The bill is currently passing through the UK Parliamentary process.
This is of concern to the CTPA and the cosmetics industry, as the UK cosmetics regulation is retained EU law and as such, is under the scope of the REUL bill. The UK cosmetics regulation is an enabler and facilitator for the cosmetics and personal care industry because it ensures consumer trust in industry products, provides essential standards and reassurance on safety and quality, and thus reassures consumers that they can buy products from the industry in the UK that are fully safe for them to use. It is therefore preferred for the UK cosmetics regulation to remain in force for cosmetic products placed on the UK market and to not be repealed by the REUL, should it come into force.
The CTPA is collaborating with the British Beauty Council in engaging with UK government departments, Ministers and members of the House of Lords, calling for definitive assurance that the UK cosmetics regulation will be retained in its current form and will not be amended or repealed under REUL or the Brexit Freedoms bill.
Read the full article in the June digital edition of C&T magazine.References
- Gov.UK. (2022, Sep 22). UK government to set its own laws for its own people as Brexit freedoms bill introduced. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-to-set-its-own-laws-for-its-own-people-as-brexit-freedoms-bill-introduced
