CA’s Beta Montemayor (V.P. and Director of Science, Regulation & Market Access) and Amy Sutherland (Director of Membership Services) were active participants in this year’s Cosmetics Europe Annual Conference which took place in Brussels on June 16 – 17.
Under this year’s theme, “Well-Being at Your Fingertips, Safety in Hand”, the conference gathered industry experts, policy makers, companies, and other stakeholders to discuss the valuable role of cosmetics and personal care products in society and how industry, regulators, and business leaders continue to innovate, advance, and support safety science and science communication as foundational pillars for product safety.
Keynote speakers provided important insights regarding:
- Small Business Entrepreneurs and the unique challenges they face in today’s changing regulatory environment;
- New Data on how personal care and cosmetic routines contribute to healthy well-being and healthy ageing – featuring the Cosmetic Europe’s latest landmark study Beauty and beyond: The everyday role of cosmetics and personal care in Europe (newly released at the conference);
- The simplification of Europe’s Cosmetics Regulations and the release of the European Commission’s latest Omnibus VI Proposal (Joint Press Release – June 17, 2026) – which includes significant regulatory developments that aim to enhance competitiveness and facilitate innovation, and “right-size” regulations, in line with the inherent “low-risk” nature of cosmetics and personal care products; and
- The disruptive influence of AI, and How Science-Based Industries Stay Coherent – and Credible – in the Age of Networks.
In addition to the keynote addresses, several parallel sessions were hosted, including a session exploring the emergence of “Digital Information on the European and International Stage”, featuring presentations and panel contributions from CA’s own Beta Montemayor. Beta shared Canada’s innovation and engagement on Digital Labelling and the important international collaborations that CA and others have been participating in to bring product labelling, safety communication, and consumer information exchange into the 21st century.
Following the close of the conference, Cosmetics Europe elected its new Executive Council which can be viewed HERE. Congratulations to newly elected officers:
- Oswald Barckhahn, Beiersdorf AG (President)
- Benedetto Lavino, Cosmetica Italia (Vice-President)
- Tony Lorman, Edgewell (Treasurer)
