Understanding Cosmetic Product Distribution: Roles, Responsibilities, and Market Entry
‘Distributor‘ means any natural or legal person in the supply chain, other than the manufacturer or the importer, who makes a cosmetic product available on the Community market.
‘Making available on the market’ means any supply of a cosmetic product for distribution, consumption or use on the Community market in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of charge.
‘Placing on the market’ means the first making available of a cosmetic product on the Community market.
The distributor, placing cosmetics under their name, or altering products affecting compliance, holds responsibility for market presence.
Before making a cosmetic product available on the market distributors shall verify that:
- the labelling information provided for in Article 19(1)(a), (e) and (g) and Article 19(3) and (4) is present,
- the language requirements provided for in Article 19(5) are fulfilled,
- the date of minimum durability specified, where applicable under
Article 19(1), has not passed.
Where distributors consider or have reason to believe that:
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If a cosmetic product doesn’t meet Regulation requirements, it can’t be marketed until it complies with them.
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If a cosmetic product they’ve marketed doesn’t comply with this Regulation, they must ensure taking corrective actions promptly.
Furthermore, where the cosmetic product presents a risk to human health, distributors shall immediately inform the responsible person
and the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made the product available, giving details, in particular, of the noncompliance and of the corrective measures taken.
