. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/CAN/92 
1 April 2004  
 
(04-1477) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original: English/ 
 French 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   CANADA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Health 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   Canadian Enquiry 
Point, 200-270 Albert Street, Ottawa, Onta rio, Canada, K1P 6N7 Tel.:  +1 613 238 3222, 
Fax.:  +1 613 569 7808, E-mail:  info@scc.ca 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Cosmetics 
(ICS: 71.100.70) 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:   Proposed Amendment 
to the Cosmetic Regulations (pages 852-867;  English and French) 
6. Description of content:   
 
 The purpose of this regulation is to st rengthen the protection of the health and 
safety of Canadians with regard to the use of  cosmetic products.  The proposed amendments 
to the Cosmetic Regulations  would require that cosmetic manufacturers declare ingredients 
on a label or exterior wrapping of all cosmetics.  Other amendments would clarify existing 
requirements or administrative processes.    Cosmetics are defined as “any substance or mixture of substances manufactured, sold or represented for use in cleansing, impr oving or altering the complexion, skin, hair or 
teeth, and includes deodorants and perfumes.” 
 The problem 
 
  Current cosmetic labelling requirements do not include ingredient listing.  This 
contributes to a higher than necessary risk of  adverse reactions to cosmetics because 
Canadians are unable to avoid products containing substances to which they are sensitive.  It also means that the effectiven ess and efficiency of medical response to adverse cosmetic 
reactions are reduced by a lack of information on the ingredients in the product.    G/TBT/N/CAN/92 
Page 2  
 
The initiative 
 
  The proposed amendments are intended to clarify existing requirements, as well as to impose a number of new requirements on manufac turers in order to reduce health risks to 
Canadians. 
 
 The purpose of this initiative is to enhance the safety of Canadians by making available to consumers valuable informati on concerning the composition of cosmetics.  
Health Canada is proposing that manufactur ers use the International Nomenclature for 
Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) system for ingredie nt disclosure.  Ingredient listing on product 
labels will provide Canadians w ith information that will allow them to avoid products that 
contain an ingredient that may cause an adver se reaction.  Additionally, this initiative will 
provide medical professionals with ready access to the names of the ingredients in the product, thus allowing them to provide effective medical care should the need arise.  The use of INCI would provide for uniform and cons istent information to be delivered to both 
health professionals and consumers. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human health and safety 
8. Relevant documents:   Canada Gazette, Part I, 27 March 2004 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }Not stated 
10. Final date for comments:   10 June 2004 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
The electronic version of the regulatory text can be downloaded at:  
 http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2004/20040327/pdf/g1-13813.pdf