The French requirement to label leave-on cosmetic products containing phenoxyethanol with the precautionary measure, “not to be used on the nappy-skin area of children under three years of age” has been repealed. As a result, the phenoxyethanol labeling restriction is not officially required for products imported into France.

Phenoxyethanol is frequently used as a preservative or stabilizer for other ingredients within cosmetics. The ingredient is listed as a preservative in Annex V/29 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, with a maximum concentration of 1%.

Given the requirement established by the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products, the Fédération des Entreprises de la beauté petitioned the French Council of State to overturn the French labeling precaution measure. Following that, the French Council of State requested a preliminary ruling from the European Union Court of Justice on the interpretation of Article 27 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products.

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