CPNP: What the Acronym Means and What the Notification Process Actually Involves

CPNP stands for Cosmetic Products Notification Portal. It is the online system administered by the European Commission through which every cosmetic product sold in the European Union must be notified before it is placed on the market. The CPNP is not a registration system in the FDA sense — no registration number is issued, no certificate is produced, and notification is not a product approval. It is a pre-market information submission that allows EU authorities to have product data on file before consumers use the product.

Who submits the CPNP notification

Under EU Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, the Responsible Person (RP) submits the CPNP notification. The Responsible Person is the legal entity established in the EU that takes legal responsibility for the product's compliance with EU cosmetics law. Non-EU brands — manufacturers from the United States, Turkey, South Korea, China, Brazil, or anywhere outside the EU — cannot submit a CPNP notification directly. They must first designate an EU Responsible Person. The Responsible Person then submits the notification through the CPNP on behalf of the brand. This is why EU market entry for non-EU cosmetic brands is a two-step process: appoint an EU Responsible Person, then submit the CPNP notification through that RP.

What information goes into a CPNP notification

A CPNP notification contains: the category of the cosmetic product (as defined by EU Regulation 1223/2009 Annex I), the name of the product (and any trade names), the country of origin for products manufactured outside the EU, the Responsible Person's contact information, the full list of ingredients in INCI format, the original formula (quantitative composition), a product photo showing the label, and the frame formulation or full formulation depending on whether the product uses a frame approach. For products containing nanomaterials, colorants, preservatives, or UV filters listed in the Annexes of the Regulation, additional data is required. The notification is submitted in the language of the EU member state where the RP is located, or in English if the RP operates across multiple member states.

The difference between CPNP notification and product safety documentation

Submitting a CPNP notification does not mean a product has been assessed for safety or approved for sale. The notification is a data submission — it tells authorities what is on the market. The safety documentation — called a Product Information File (PIF) — is separate and must be maintained by the Responsible Person. The PIF includes a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) prepared by a qualified safety assessor, the product formula, the manufacturing method, the product description, and claims substantiation. The CPNP notification is not complete and does not create legal market access unless the PIF is also prepared and available for inspection. Many non-EU brands submit the CPNP notification but neglect the PIF, which puts the Responsible Person and the brand at legal risk.

CPNP and the UK SCPN after Brexit

After Brexit, the UK created its own notification system: the Submit Cosmetic Product Notification (SCPN), operated through the UK government portal. Products sold in the UK require a UK Responsible Person and a separate SCPN submission — they are not covered by a CPNP notification submitted to EU authorities. Brands selling in both the EU and the UK must manage two Responsible Person relationships and two notification submissions. The CPNP and SCPN use similar data formats but are legally distinct systems.

How FDABridge supports EU cosmetics compliance

FDABridge's EU cosmetics service covers the appointment of an EU Responsible Person, CPNP notification submission, and coordination of the Product Information File preparation. For brands entering both the EU and UK markets, we coordinate both the CPNP and SCPN submissions. Visit fdabridge.com/eu-cosmetics for a service overview or fdabridge.com/contact to discuss your product portfolio.