ACCSQ Cosmetic Product Working Group – ASEAN Harmonization of Cosmetic Regulation

The Cosmetic Product Working Group, tasked to harmonize cosmetic regulations in ASEAN to eliminate them as barriers to trade, held its 6th Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on July 21-23, 2002 and finalized the Agreement of the ASEAN Harmonized Cosmetic Regulatory Scheme for adoption of the ASEAN Member Countries. This Scheme covers two phases : Phase I – Mutual Recognition of Product Registration Arrangement;  and Phase II- The ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (Product Notification). Together with this Agreement, the CPWG has also finalized and adopted the 7 Common Technical Documents namely –1) The Illustrative List of Product Categories; 2) The Common Product Registration Requirements; 3) The Common Ingredient Listings; 4) The Common Claims Guidelines; 5) The Common Labeling Requirements; 6) The ASEAN Cosmetic GMP and 7) The Common Export/ Import Requirements.

 

Following this, the 34th AEM (ASEAN Economic Ministers) Meeting has also endorsed this Agreement and that signing shall take place upon the completion of internal alignment process within each Member Country.

To date, six countries namely Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam have officially concurred to sign this Agreement while we receive positive

developments in the balance countries. We target to complete official concurrences and signatories by July-August 2003 so we can start working on the infrastructure programs necessary for implementation of the harmonized cosmetic regulatory scheme.

 

Simultaneously, the CPWG has already identified the following infrastructures (and the respective lead country) for the harmonization scheme –

 

1.       ASEAN Scientific Cosmetic Body (ASCB) – Thailand

2.       Cosmetic Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) - Malaysia

3.       Safety/Post Marketing Surveillance – Singapore

 

Signing of the Agreement on the ASEAN Harmonized Cosmetic Regulatory Scheme will be tabled during the next AEM Meeting as soon as all Member Countries have completed their internal alignment and forwarded their official concurrences. After several years of hard work and making, this is one event to look forward to in the cosmetic industry and in the ASEAN region. CPWG will then move on towards the implementation of the ASEAN Harmonized Cosmetic Regulatory Scheme so we can reap the fruits of the harmonization effort.