EU cosmetic safety standards are built around a premarket safety review that every cosmetic product must pass before it can be sold in the European Union. Here's how that system works, and how it compares with the US framework.
Both regions require companies to document product safety; they just use different mechanisms and timing. This guide breaks down EU cosmetic safety standards step by step, then places MoCRA alongside them.
Key Takeaways
- EU cosmetic safety standards require a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR), prepared by a qualified safety assessor, before a product reaches the market.
- The CPSR has two parts: Part A covers safety data, Part B is the safety evaluation.
- Products are notified through the EU's Cosmetic Product Notification Portal (CPNP) — one filing, not separate national ones.
- The CPSR is kept on file for 10 years after a product's last batch is sold.
- In the US, MoCRA (2022) centers on registration and post-market accountability rather than a premarket safety report.
The EU Cosmetic Safety Standards: CPSR and CPNP Explained
Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, the EU's "Responsible Person" for a cosmetic product must have a Cosmetic Product Safety Report completed before it can legally go to market. The CPSR must be prepared by a qualified safety assessor with a university degree in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine, or a related discipline.
The report has two parts: Part A collects safety data (formulation, chemical characteristics, microbiological quality, exposure conditions), and Part B is the assessor's evaluation of whether the product is safe for its intended use.
The product must then be notified through the Cosmetic Product Notification Portal (CPNP), a free, EU-wide system — one filing covers the whole market. The CPSR is retained for 10 years after the last batch is sold.
How the US Approaches Cosmetic Safety Under MoCRA
The US regulates cosmetic safety differently. The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) — the most significant expansion of the FDA's cosmetics authority in decades, with provisions phasing in through 2026 — requires facility registration, product listing, adverse-event reporting, and safety-substantiation recordkeeping.
MoCRA also gave the FDA mandatory recall authority over cosmetics for the first time. What it does not do is require a premarket safety report before sale — the framework centers on registration and post-market accountability, not a safety file finished before launch.
Neither approach is inherently more protective — they use different checkpoints. The EU front-loads its review; the US layers oversight after a company's own substantiation. Comparing EU cosmetic safety standards to MoCRA is a comparison of when documentation happens, not whether it happens.
Why Norvia Co. Treats This as a Baseline
Our products are formulated and manufactured in the EU, at our manufacturing partner's facility in Riga, Latvia — so the discipline behind EU cosmetic safety standards isn't just something we admire from a distance, it's part of where our products are actually made. Norvia Co. as the brand doesn't separately hold EU CPSR certification, but our manufacturing partner operates under EU cosmetics manufacturing rules, and that same structured approach to documented formulation, exposure, and safety data carries through to our own records.
See our guide to COSMOS and Ecocert certification, and our Product Guides hub.
EU Cosmetic Safety Standards FAQ
What are EU cosmetic safety standards, in simple terms?
EU cosmetic safety standards require a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR), prepared by a qualified safety assessor, before a cosmetic product can be sold in the EU. The product must also be notified through the Cosmetic Product Notification Portal (CPNP).
What's the difference between the EU's CPSR and the US's MoCRA?
The EU requires a premarket safety report (the CPSR) and portal notification before a product launches. The US, under MoCRA, focuses on facility registration, product listing, and post-market accountability rather than a premarket safety file.
Does Norvia Co. hold EU CPSR certification?
Not directly as the brand — but our products are manufactured in the EU, at our manufacturing partner's facility in Riga, Latvia, under EU cosmetics manufacturing rules. We reference the EU's documentation approach because that same structured, thorough approach already runs through how our products are made.