Confidential information on the development and market approval procedures of cosmetics products will be swapped between the European Commission and the US FDA in the future. Under a deal struck this month in Brussels, both sides can exchange data to help speed their safety controls for cosmetics and medical devices.
Information affected will include:
* Advance drafts of legislation and regulatory guidance documents
* Post-marketing data which could affect public health, such as vigilance data or information about impending regulatory actions
* Information on ongoing and emerging health and safety regulatory issues
A Commission note said the deal would enable “better health protection and easier trade between EU and US”. And EU industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen said it was “an important step towards our goal of accepting each other's alternative methods to animal testing. The EU and the US will be able to exchange early information to protect public health whilst taking away stumbling blocks for trade.” Exchanged information must remain secure within the Commission and the FDA.
Around 7% of all cosmetic products in the US are imported from EU member states - generating E3bn in sales annually, while US exports of cosmetics to the EU are worth E1.5bn a year.