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Ladies and Gentlemen,
The year 2004 has not been
a good year for all businesses
in the cosmetics business due
to depressed consumer sentiment.
However, it is good news that,
despite this hardship, not only
domestic and foreign cosmetics
companies but also a national
research institute took a lead
to draw up strategies to support
advancement in the cosmetics
industry and most of these strategies
are now being finalized.
It’s highly regarded that the
Korean Food and Drug Administration
has made a multitude of practical
improvements, judging from the
October 18, 2004 revisions introduced
in the Functional Cosmetics
Screening Regulations. Nevertheless,
fundamental issues associated
with functional cosmetics have
not been resolved and difficulties
experienced by the member companies
of the EUCCK Cosmetics Committee
still continue.
Moreover, even in case of functional
cosmetics which have passed
the screening, only phrases
stipulated by Acts are allowed
for usage in advertisements
while usage of results from
research and development activities
are limited, assuming that they
might lead to exaggerated advertising.
Results of functional cosmetics
screening should be allowed
to be used in advertisements
for consumers to make an informed
choice. To this purpose, the
current regulations on labeling
and advertising stated in the
Cosmetic Act that strictly restrict
the scope of labeling and advertising
except permissible phrases (positive
list concept) should be improved
to the ones that allows creative
labeling and advertising to
companies by establishing the
scope of prohibited expressions
only (negative list concept).
By providing consumers with
results of corporate investments
into cosmetics research, consumers
will make a right choice and
a legal environment that encourages
continuous R&D investment
by companies will be nurtured.
With regard to the Korean government’s
recent move to expand the scope
of functional cosmetics, the
EUCCK Cosmetics Committee is
deeply concerned that the unreasonable
operation derived from the functional
cosmetics scheme might become
more widespread. The Committee
would like to request the Korean
government to take an innovative
step and expand the scope of
the efficacy and effect of general
cosmetics, not of functional
cosmetics, and to consider the
abolition of the functional
cosmetics system itself in a
long term for the cosmetics
industry.
Furthermore, the unrealistic
regulations in terms of packaging
methods and separated discharge
marks put forth in the recycling
policy continue to put a burden
on the cosmetics industry. The
Korean government is requested
to consider differences among
different industries in its
execution of environmental policies
in order not to limit creative
activities of companies, and
to support companies in their
effort to build international
competitiveness.
The EUCCK Cosmetics Committee
hereby requests the Korean government
to positively review this proposal
that represents core system
improvements in the Cosmetic
Act encompassing the scope of
labeling and advertising and
in the Act for resources saving
and recycling promotion. We
hope all the regulations to
be reviewed and revamped this
year so that they meet rational
and international standards.
Thank you. |
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