International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation (ICCR) 13th Annual Meeting held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from July 9-11, 2019

The International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation (ICCR) held its 13th Annual Meeting (ICCR-13) from July 9-11, 2019 in Montreal, QC, Canada. The ICCR is a voluntary international group of cosmetics regulatory authorities from Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the United States. This group of regulatory authorities meets on an annual basis to discuss common issues on cosmetics safety and regulation, and to enter into a constructive dialogue with their relevant cosmetics industry trade associations. As stated in the Terms of Reference, the purpose of this multilateral framework is to maintain the highest level of global consumer protection, while minimizing barriers to international trade. In 2019, representatives from Colombia, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand participated in the meeting as observers.

As part of this meeting, the regulators entered into a dialogue with cosmetics industry trade associations from each jurisdiction on July 10, 2019.

The Director General of the Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety Directorate - Health Canada, Mr. Tolga Yalkin, welcomed the group and made opening remarks.

The President of the Cosmetics Alliance Canada, Mr. Darren Praznik, made an opening statement on behalf of industry.

The following Joint Working Group topics were discussed at the meeting:

• Cosmetic Product Preservation
• Allergens
• Integrated Strategies for Safety Assessments of Cosmetic Ingredients
• International Standards
• Microbiome
• Consumer Communications

An open stakeholder session was held on July 10. Representatives from Humane Society International and the Rob Stewart Sharkwater Foundation made presentations regarding animal testing and ethically sourced ingredients in cosmetics. ICCR recognizes the importance of communication to the general public on both issues. With respect to alternatives to animal testing, ICCR continues to work on this topic.

The following are the outcomes of the meeting:

1. Cosmetic Product Preservation
   • ICCR SC endorsed the "Overview of Key Scientific Elements and Principles to be Considered in Ensuring Access to an Appropriate Palette of Preservatives" report and will post to the website.
   • ICCR SC agreed that the current Joint Working Group will identify any new possible tasks by the first quarter of the next cycle.
2. Allergens
   • ICCR SC endorsed the "Allergens Working Group on Alternative Safety Assessment Tools for Identifying Potential Dermal Allergens" report and will post to the website.
3. Integrated Strategies for Safety Assessments of Cosmetic Ingredients
   • A Workshop regarding Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) took place this cycle. ICCR SC agreed that the current Joint Working Group will complete a report following the Workshop.
4. International Standards
   • The "Updated Annex of Report International Standards in Cosmetics" report is accepted and will be posted to the website.
   • Identification of new published ISO standards will be conducted every cycle. Activities surrounding the standards will be evaluated on an as needed basis.
5. Microbiome
   • ICCR SC agreed that the current Joint Working Group will continue to work on the microbiome topic as it relates to cosmetics.
6. Consumer Communications
   • ICCR SC agreed to work on advancing this topic.

ICCR Regulators and Industry agreed to modernize the ICCR website.

The next ICCR meeting will be held in Brussels, Belgium in 2020