Responsible for making concrete proposals to strengthen the competitiveness of European SMEs, Commissioner Timmermans met six organizations representing the interests of small and medium French companies through a dinner organized by the General Confederation of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (CGPME [1]), an interprofessional organisation for employers. On this occasion, the President of Cosmed called for a simplification of regulations that, according to him, could have a direct positive impact on the margins of SMEs, without compromising consumer safety.

From left to right: Jean Eude du Mesnil, Secretary general of CGPME - Jean-Marc Giroux, President of Cosmed - Franz Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission.

Six proposals were put under the spotlights by Cosmed:

– Extended deadlines for the compliance of products after regulatory changes. Current deadlines for the compliance of new products and the removal of old products from the market are limited to 6 and 12 months respectively. Cosmed proposes to double this period (1 year and 2 years).
– Suppression of Certificates of Free Sale (CFS). Cosmed said the Commission could pressure non-EU countries requesting this document to obtain a simplification of import procedures.
– International recognition of self-certification of compliance with European GMP, which is not easily accepted by some national authorities.
– Consistence and coordination in the treatment of sanitary risks by avoiding pointing out the cosmetics industry alone when complex health issues also involve other sectors.
– Simplification of product labelling, by focusing on essential information only and allowing using digital information to inform a specific population, for instance on the presence of allergens.
– Vigilance in the TTIP negotiations (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership).

Eventually, the CGPME Directorate highlighted more general issues, in particular the lack of harmonization in several areas, such as social and fiscal regulations, thus leaving national discrepancies unsuited to the economic context.

“Franz Timmermans has asked the members of its cabinet to investigate these issues and to maintain contact and regular dialogue with Cosmed for the cosmetics industry, and the CGPME for general topics,” said Cosmed.