CPNP (Cosmetic Products Notification Portal): meaning and who notifies
Every cosmetic product sold in the EU is notified through CPNP before it reaches the market.
Definition
CPNPCPNP, the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal, is the European Commission’s online system through which the responsible person notifies cosmetic products before placing them on the EU market, as required by Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. The notification gives competent authorities and poison centres information on the product, its category, the responsible person and a contact person.
How CPNP notification works
The responsible person, the EU-based operator answerable for the product, submits the notification before the product is placed on the market. It includes the product category and name, the member state where it is first placed on the market, the responsible person’s name and address, a contact person, the country of origin for imports and a frame formulation, plus details of nanomaterials and certain CMR substances where present. Once the product is on the market, the original labelling is added, with a photo of the packaging where reasonably legible. The portal has been mandatory since 11 July 2013.
Products containing nanomaterials have an additional route: in many cases they must be notified six months before being placed on the market. A distributor who translates any labelling element on its own initiative, to sell in another member state, has a separate notification duty, so check this before relabelling for a new country.
The key misunderstanding is that a CPNP notification means the product is approved. It does not. The portal records the notification; it does not check that the product complies. Safety is shown by the cosmetic product safety report and the product information file, which the responsible person must hold. A brand that notifies without a proper safety assessment is still non-compliant.
This is general information; notifications and safety files are checked with a licensed specialist in a project. See private label cosmetics in the EU, cosmetics and the compliance stage.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Who must submit a CPNP notification?
The responsible person for the cosmetic product in the EU, which is the EU manufacturer, the importer, or a person designated by written mandate.
Does CPNP notification mean my cosmetic is approved?
No. The EU has no pre-market approval for cosmetics. CPNP records the notification; compliance rests on the safety report, the product information file and correct labelling.
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