Overview
- Lawmakers approved the Omnibus VI package by 540 votes to 60, with 45 abstentions, and the text now moves into talks with EU governments before any final law takes effect.
- The plan relaxes parts of the EU’s cosmetics regime and lengthens the time to pull or reformulate products that contain CMR substances, which are chemicals linked to cancer, genetic mutations, or harm to reproduction.
- Companies previously had 18 months to withdraw products after a new CMR listing, and the new framework allows far longer timelines, with reporting indicating phase-outs can stretch up to 75 months in some cases.
- MEPs rejected a separate idea to permit substances deemed carcinogenic by ingestion or inhalation when used only on skin, keeping that proposed exemption out of the package.
- Industry groups say the change cuts red tape and gives time to find safe substitutes, while health advocates warn the longer window could keep risky products on shelves for years and note that classifying a substance as CMR already takes years.