Overview
Council Directive 76/768/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to cosmetic products ("Cosmetics Directive") is the main regulatory framework which aims at ensuring the free circulation of cosmetic 
products in the internal market and safeguarding the safety of cosmetic products placed on the EU-market. The principles laid down in the Cosmetics Directive take into account the needs of the consumer while encouraging commercial exchange and eliminating barriers to trade. For example, if a product is to move freely within the EU, the same labelling, packaging and safety regulations must apply. The Cosmetics Directive aims to guarantee the safety of cosmetic products for human use.
This safety relates to composition, packaging and information and it falls totally under the responsibility of the producer or the importer into the EU who is responsible for the marketing liability. There is no pre-market control for cosmetic products at Member State or EU level. Control of cosmetic products within the EU is assured through the responsibility of the person who places the product on the market, a simple notification of manufacturing/importing site, and an in-market surveillance system.
The Cosmetics Directive is transposed by the Cosmetics Products Regulations, Legal Notice 424 of 2004 (as amended).
These web pages (Regulatory Affairs / Cosmetics) offer you information on the existing legislation on cosmetics and on the closed, ongoing and upcoming consultations that are being prepared by the Malta Standards Authority. Links to guidance documents and FAQs are also available.
Further information on cosmetics can also be found on the Commission's enterprise website.
The manufacturer or his agent, or the person to whose order a cosmetic product is manufactured, or the person responsible for placing imported cosmetic products on the market, shall notify the Regulatory Affairs directorate within the Malta Standards Authority. 