Mercosur nears harmonisation

Published: 1-Aug-2006


The Mercosur trade agreement countries, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay have progressed in their negotiations on harmonisation for cosmetics legislation.

The parties have agreed to impose more stringent controls on outsourcing, making suppliers responsible for the quality of finished products in addition to the companies that market them. Closer scrutiny will be imposed on contract manufacturers to ensure that their procedures conform to Mercosur quality and safety standards.

Mercosur has also decided to be more objective about materials banned in the EU and US, allowing a 180-day window for assessment rather than automatically banning them.

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