The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) is one of the independent scientific committees managed by the

Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection The Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), until 2014 known as the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO), is a directorate-general of the European Commission. The DG is responsible for the implementation of E ...

of the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

, which provide scientific advice to the commission on issues related to non-food issues. It is the successor to both the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) and the Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products (SCCNFP).

Activities

The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety provides the

with scientific advice on the safety of non-food consumer products. The SCCS's advice is intended to enable risk managers to take the adequate and required actions in order to guarantee consumer protection. The SCCS addresses questions in relation to the safety, allergenic properties, and impact on consumer health, of products and ingredients such as toys, textiles, clothing,

cosmetics Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...

, personal care products, domestic products such as detergents, and consumer services such as

tattooing A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...

. By the end of 2006 the SCCP had adopted close to 100 opinions or position papers on topics such as

fragrances An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently vo ...

, hair dyes,

sunbeds Indoor tanning involves using a device that emits ultraviolet radiation to produce a cosmetic tan. Typically found in tanning salons, gyms, spas, hotels, and sporting facilities, and less often in private residences, the most common device is a ho ...

tooth bleaching Tooth whitening or tooth bleaching is the process of lightening the color of human teeth. Whitening is often desirable when teeth become yellowed over time for a number of reasons, and can be achieved by changing the intrinsic or extrinsic color o ...

preservatives A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to products such as food products, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, paints, biological samples, cosmetics, wood, and many other products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by ...

, UV filters, and other substances.

Procedures

The SCCS consists of a maximum of 17 members. There is also a reserve list made up of candidates found suitable for a position in a scientific committee. The members of the SCCS are appointed on the basis of their skills and experience in the fields in question, and consistent with this a geographical distribution that reflects the diversity of scientific problems and approaches in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

. The experts are appointed for three years, renewable a maximum of three consecutive times. In agreement with the commission, the scientific committees may turn to specialised external experts. The SCCS complies with the principles of independence, transparency and confidentiality. The members therefore make a declaration of commitment to act in the public interest and a declaration of interests. Requests for opinions, agendas, minutes and opinions are published. The work and publications respect commercial confidentiality.

History

The scientific committees were originally established by Commission Decision 97/404/EC of 10 June 1997. The Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) was originally established as one of three scientific committees established by Commission Decision 2004/210/EC of 3 March 2004, replacing the former Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products (SCCNFP). Commission Decision 2008/721/EC of 5 August 2008 reestablished the committee as the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).

References

{{Reflist

External links

Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety

of the

Commission Decision 2008/721/EC of 5 August 2008 setting up an advisory structure of Scientific Committees and experts in the field of consumer safety, public health and the environment
(as amended) from

EUR-Lex Eur-Lex (stylized EUR-Lex) is an official website of European Union law and other public documents of the European Union (EU), published in 24 official languages of the EU. The Official Journal (OJ) of the European Union is also published on EUR- ...

Consumer rights agencies Health and Consumer Protection European Union consumer protection policy Regulation of chemicals in the European Union

Activities

Procedures

History

See also

References

External links