What is the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS)?

March 8, 2022 – The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, or SCCS, provides opinions on health and safety risks of non-food consumer goods in the European Union. It is an independent committee of experts from different EU countries. For cosmetics, the SCCS evaluates the safety of ingredients. Its members, scientists from various EU countries, are appointed as per the Commission Decision C(2015)5383 of August 7, 2015.

The role of the SCCS

According to Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (Cosmetics Regulation), the European Commission can request the opinion of the Committee in different circumstances and whenever there are safety concerns. Usually, it is responsible for the assessment of each ingredient for which there are safety concerns, but also the evaluation of CMR substances, nanomaterials, and potential animal testing.

Use of CMR substances and nanomaterials

One important role concerns the decisions taken by the SCCS on hazardous substances. Generally, there is a ban on the use of carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction substances (CMR) in cosmetic products. Nonetheless, some exceptions exist for CMR substances of category 2. When the SCCS evaluates such substances and finds them safe for use in cosmetic products, these can be used, as stated in Article 15 of the Regulation. The European Commission can also mandate the SCCS to reevaluate these substances usually within a certain periodicity and as soon as safety concerns arise.

The SCCS is also competent for the assessment of the safety of nanomaterials. When there are safety concerns, the European Commission requests the SCCS to give its opinion on their use in cosmetics products.

Ban on animal testing and SCCS

In the European Union, there is a ban on animal testing for cosmetic products (Article 18 (1) of the Cosmetic Regulation). However, under special circumstances, some testing on animals may be allowed and Article 18(1) may be lifted. This is possible upon consultancy of the European Commission with the Scientific Committee. However, this could happen only when there were serious safety concerns on a widely used cosmetic ingredient.

Timeline and future plans

Once the SCCS receives a mandate, a preliminary opinion on the matter follows. Afterwards, between the preliminary and final opinion there is a timeframe of eight weeks in which the opinion provided is open for comments. Eventually, when necessary, there could be a regulation update, which would take in total approximately two years.

As part of the targeted revision of EU Cosmetics Regulation, The European Commission is planning to move the SCCS to ECHA, the European Chemicals Agency. However, the decision is still ongoing.

The members of the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety are listed here, while mandates, opinions and statements, meetings, procedures, and contacts can be found in our dedicated COSlaw Library – SCCS  and here.

 

References:

Chemical Watch. (2021). Move to Echa? ‘We don’t want it,’ says SCCS co-chair. Retrieved on 03/03/2022

European Commission. (2009). Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products. Retrieved on 18/02/2022

European Commission. (2015). SCCS – Members. Retrieved on 18/02/2022

 

 

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