“To have a fair and effective EPR system, it is critical to stop the clock now and re-assess the data behind it. The initial costs of the EPR scheme have been significantly underestimated, while our sector’s contribution has been overestimated by at least 15 times. Such inaccuracies cannot form the basis of any legislation. The urgent correction of these errors and the implementation of the true Polluter Pays Principle will lead to a workable Directive that effectively incentivises eco-design for all contributors to urban wastewater pollution” said John Chave, Director General of Cosmetics Europe. “Our industry acknowledges the importance of urban wastewater management and is ready to contribute its fair share, but we cannot be incentivised to reduce emissions of substances we do not emit” he added.

In its press release, Cosmetics Europe cites the findings of several studies, including that of the FEBEA, all of which point in the same direction: the European Commission has greatly underestimated the additional costs of wastewater treatment and equally greatly overestimated the contribution of the cosmetics sector to water pollution.
The European Federation points out that several key substances have been falsely attributed to the cosmetics industry, such as permethrin (an …