Cosmetic Product Notification Portal (CPNP) notification

Notification is a pre-market requirement where the Responsible person informs the EU Commission and the EU member states that the product will be placed on the EU market. The notification has to be performed after the cosmetic products are compliant with the relevant legislation (their Product Information File is completed and compliant).

Under the Regulation 1223/2009 (fully applicable since 11th July 2013) the notification process was simplified by creating only one electronic centralized notification system (the CPNP – Cosmetic Product Notification Portal) for all the EU countries, which started operating on 11th January 2012.

Please note that there is no EU cosmetics registration. This is a notification and not a registration. A notification means that the action is only one sided, and therefore doesn’t imply any official approval for sales.

Prior to placing the cosmetic product on the market the Responsible person must submit, by electronic means, to the EU Commission the following:

Prior to placing the cosmetic product on the market the responsible person shall submit, by electronic means, the following information to the Commission… (EU Regulation 1223/2009, Article 13.1)

• The category of cosmetic product, its physical form, packaging type and its name or names, enabling its specific identification
• The name and address of the Responsible person where the Product Information File is made readily accessible
• The country of origin in case of import
• The member state in which the cosmetic product is to be placed on the market
• The contact details of a physical person to contact in case of necessity
• The presence of substances in the form of nanomaterials
• The name and the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) or EC number of substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR), of category 1A or 1B, under part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008
• The product formula or the frame formulation allowing for prompt and appropriate medical treatment in the event of difficulties
• The original labelling, and, where reasonably legible, a photograph of the corresponding packaging

It is important to know that all products placed on the EU market before July 2013, which were notified according to the old EU cosmetics Directive, have to be notified again – to the Cosmetic Product Notification Portal CPNP, in order to be able to continue to circulate in the EU market.

In order to enhance the safety of cosmetic products and strengthen the market surveillance, cosmetic products placed on the market after the date of application of this Regulation should comply with its obligations regarding safety assessment, the product information file and notification, even if similar obligations have already been fulfilled under Directive 76/768/EEC. (EU Regulation 1223/2009, 68)