Resources/CPNP notification
CPNP notification: what EU cosmetic launches require
Disclaimer: The information provided in this guide is for educational and regulatory context purposes only and does not constitute formal legal advice. Compliance requirements can vary based on formulation, regional authority updates, and specific product claims. Consult a certified regulatory affairs professional or specialized legal counsel for official filings. See the European Commission for current text.
Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Article 13, every cosmetic product placed on the EU market must be notified through the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP) — a free, Commission-run electronic system. A single CPNP notification covers all 27 Member States; no separate national-level filing is needed once it's submitted.
Who notifies, and when
The responsible person (RP) — typically the EU manufacturer, importer, or a formally appointed representative — must notify before the product is placed on the EU market. Distributors take on notification duties too in specific cases: when they market a product under their own name in a Member State, or translate the label for a market the RP didn't originally notify for.
Products containing nanomaterials have a longer runway — they must be notified six months before market placement, via a separate nanomaterial module in addition to the standard Article 13 notification.
What has to be submitted
- Product category and name
- RP name, address, and contact details
- Country of origin (for imports) and the Member State of first placement on the market
- A frame formulation — or full ingredient list with concentration ranges — precise enough for a poison centre to give appropriate medical treatment if needed
- Name and CAS or EC number of any substance classified CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic)
- The original label text and a photograph of the packaging as it will appear on shelf
- For nanomaterials: identification and reasonably foreseeable exposure conditions
A product sold in multiple shades doesn't need a separate notification per shade — one notification covers the range.
Do cosmetics also need a poison-centre (Annex VIII) filing?
For most other hazardous mixtures, CLP Article 45 requires a separate harmonized poison-centre notification (Annex VIII / PCN format via ECHA). Cosmetics are a deliberate carve-out from that: CPNP already pushes the frame-formulation and CMR data to Member State poison centres, so a compliant CPNP notification satisfies that need — don't file both, ECHA notes it results in duplicate fees for what should be one notification.
Before you notify, confirm every ingredient clears EU CosIng, REACH/SVHC, and CMR restrictions — run a free INCI compliance scan, or sign in to check a full formulation across EU and export markets at once.
Related: EU CosIng and INCI basics, CPSR & PIF safety documentation, the US equivalent (FDA facility registration & listing).