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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
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Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/2/12

15 August 2012

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 639/2012
European Union (EU)* : Amendment to Directive on Cosmetic Products

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 680/2011 dated 1 November 2011, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Directive to amend Annexes II and III of Council Directive 76/768/EEC relating to cosmetic products for the purpose of adaption to technical progress. Details are set out in Commission Implementing Directive 2012/21/EU (the Directive), which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:208:0008:0016:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2.In the light of the risk assessment of the submitted safety data and the final opinions given by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) on the safety of individual substances and of the reaction products, the substances Hydroxyethyl-2-Nitro-p-Toluidine and HC Red No 10 + HC Red No 11 could be considered safe in hair dye products and listed in Part 1 of Annex III to Directive 76/768/EEC. Concerning the substances 1-Naphthol and Resorcinol, listed in Part 1 of Annex III of Directive 76/768/ECC, the maximum authorized concentrations in the finished cosmetic product should be changed. For the substance HC Red No 16, since it posed a risk to the health of the consumer, it should therefore be listed in Annex II to Directive 76/768/EEC. 

3.Annexes II and III of Directive 76/768/EEC should therefore be amended in accordance with the Annex of the Directive. EU Member States shall adopt and publish the law, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directive latest by 1 March 2013 and shall apply those provisions from 1 September 2013. 

ENQUIRIES

4.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,


(Miss Anita WONG)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.




Note ：

  • (1) While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.
  • (2)The biweekly newsletter "Business Alert - EU" of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council provides up-to-date information on the latest developments in EU trade policy and trade regulations. The newsletter is available for free e-subscription and can be accessed through
    http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/eualert.htm.