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Policy

Nanotech Law For European Cosmetics

by Britt E. Erickson
March 30, 2009 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 87, Issue 13

Cosmetics made with nanotechnology will have to undergo safety testing before they are marketed in the European Union under new legislation approved by the European Parliament on March 24. If testing shows that a substance poses a risk to human health, the substance could be banned. The regulation will require cosmetics manufacturers to inform the European Commission of any nanoscale materials in their products. Manufacturers also will have to list all nanomaterials in cosmetics on the product's packaging. The new rules, which will consolidate 27 sets of outdated laws into a single regulation, will go into effect in 2012. Industry welcomes the legislation for its focus on reducing regulatory burdens and increasing consumer information. "The streamlining of this piece of legislation benefits industry and consumers alike and should reduce unnecessary red tape. It is fully in line with our industry's continuous commitment to provide safe and innovative products, ensuring consumer confidence at the same time," said Bertil Heerink, head of the European Cosmetics Association, an industry trade group. The commission estimates that 5% of cosmetic products sold in the EU in 2006 contained nanomaterials.

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