Objectives of the training course
Safety of cosmetics is a key issue in the EU.
Until now, Directive 76/768/EEC and its 6th and 7th Amendment applied. They were implemented in the different national laws of the Member States which was rather slow and not always perfect. From July 2013, the Directive is replaced by Regulation EC 1223/2009 which is instantly and directly enforced across the EU. Main drivers are codification, streamlining and simplifying to obtain a better harmonization between the 27 Member States.
The same basic principles, however, remain the same. Thus a cosmetic product on the EU market must be safe and one must be in the position to demonstrate this safety and to provide adequate information to the Authorities as well as to the consumers. Safety of cosmetics and their ingredients is guaranteed through safety assessment and for that purpose a unique dossier (Product Information File) need to be composed. It must be judged by a qualified professional, in possession of a diploma or other evidence of formal qualifications awarded on completion of a university course of theoretical and practical study in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine or a similar discipline, or a course recognized as equivalent by a Member State (Art. 10.2).
Several reasons can be given that urge potential safety assessors of cosmetics to follow additional specific academic training in safety evaluation of cosmetics. Reasons include the unadapted traditional lesson packets of the diplomas mentioned in the EU Regulation, the difficulties generated by moving from in vivo to in vitro testing in safety assessment of cosmetic ingredients and finished products, the special needs for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), the important tasks of the Responsible Person, the growing awareness of the consumer and the changing role of raw material suppliers for cosmetics. This course, therefore, offers an intensive training programme designed for safety assessors of cosmetics in the EU. It is also open to raw material suppliers, Responsible Persons, SMEs, contract laboratories, inspectors and legislators.
This course is realized in close collaboration with the cosmetic industry and teaching is done at high standard academic level. Particular emphasis is given to key issues in safety evaluation of cosmetics including the application of alternative methods and the interpretation of the results, how and when animal testing can be done or remains a necessity, what are the toxicological requirements by the Commission for cosmetic ingredients testing. Practical courses, in which the realization of a Product Information File (PIF) according to Annex I of Regulation EC 1223/2009 for a finished cosmetic product is central, are included. The possibility will be given to all participants to pass a written exam at the end of the last day of the course.
Key questions to be tackled by the course