EU Reaches Agreement on Simplifying Regulations on Cosmetics, Chemicals Labelling and Fertilisers

On June 17, 2026, negotiators from the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a political agreement on the "Omnibus VI" package proposed by the European Commission. The agreement seeks to streamline regulations on cosmetics, the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP), and EU fertiliser products. Based on the press release, CIRS Group provides the following summary.

Key Contents

1. Cosmetics Reform – Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009

• Faster phase-out of hazardous substances: Cosmetics containing carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic (CMR) substances must be withdrawn from the market more quickly than originally proposed. Following the entry into force of the ban, companies will have six months to cease placing products on the market and 12 months to withdraw existing stock (compared with 12/24 months in the original proposal).
• Exemption applications: Companies may apply for an exemption, which must be submitted within 12 months; if rejected, a withdrawal period of 3–9 months will apply.
• Nanomaterial notification: The pre-market notification of nanomaterial-containing cosmetics to the European Commission is reintroduced, but the prior 6-month advance notice requirement is removed.
• Substitution guidance: The Commission will develop guidance on substitution analysis for hazardous substances within one year of the regulation's entry into force.

2. Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals (CLP) – Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008

• Label legibility: For chemicals sold to the general public, the x-height of label text must be ≥ 1.2 mm; for packaging of ≤ 125 ml, this may be reduced to ≥ 0.9 mm.
• Digital labelling: For small packages of 10 ml or less, certain label elements (excluding hazard pictograms) may be provided via digital labels.
• Update deadlines: When a substance classification becomes stricter, suppliers must update labels within 15 months (the Commission's original proposal was "as soon as possible").
• Date of application: Parliament has deferred the applicability date of most amended provisions to January 1, 2030.

3. Fertilisers Reform – Regulation (EU) 2019/1009

• Regulatory simplification: The EU fertiliser products regulation is simplified to support innovation for farmers and industry.
• Hazardous substance registration: Registration obligations are retained for substances with a harmonised classification as particularly hazardous, rather than being fully streamlined into the standard REACH regime.

CIRS Insights

This informal agreement must be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union before entering into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. In the short term, simplified rules and clear transition periods lower compliance barriers, particularly for resource-constrained SMEs. In the medium to long term, however, companies will need to increase investment in alternative substance R&D and supply chain agility to adapt to a more dynamic chemicals regulatory environment.

About CIRS

Established in 2007, the CIRS Group is a leading product safety and regulatory consulting firm. CIRS has branch offices in the Republic of Ireland, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. CIRS Group utilizes its technical expertise, various resources, and international network to provide one-stop compliance services from regulatory compliance, laboratory testing, R&D to data services across multiple industries. This includes chemicals, cosmetics, food and food beverages, medical devices, agrochemical products, disinfectants, and consumer goods. It helps clients gain a competitive advantage by reducing business risks associated with regulatory affairs.

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Further information 

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