Cosmetics Europe predicts bright future for industry with exports key

CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com was invited to attend the event and was given exclusive insight from Director General Bertil Heerink, who described 2013 as ‘pivotal’ for the association.

“Despite a challenging economic situation we are still showing growth, and the European cosmetics and personal care industry is currently very stable,”​ he told us.

“In total, the European market represented almost one third of the global market, with exports on the rise. This is great news considering the Euro/ Dollar conversion rate, and certainly looks promising for the future.”​

Figures​

Figures released at the General Assembly show that exports from the EU are on the rise for 2013, and the European market had total sales for the EU 28 + Norway and Switzerland at €72 billion, with European exports totalling €36.2 billion last year.

Addressing the room at the event, Cosmetics Europe President Fabio Franchina spoke about the changing needs of today’s consumers and the importance of consumers to the industry, echoing the theme of this year’s General Assembly, ‘Consumers at the Heart’.

“Consumers are at the heart of the Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry,”​ said Franchina. “At Cosmetics Europe, we recognise that to keep up with the needs of today’s consumer, our industry needs to be pro-active in bringing innovative, safe, sustainable products to market.”​

“We have a responsibility to be actively engaged in helping contribute to society, education, gender equity and social inclusion in the communities where our products are manufactured or sourced.”​

Packed agenda​

The Cosmetics Europe’s Scientific Conference took place in Brussels, followed by the General Assembly. Both events brought together Cosmetics Europe members, corporate entities, trade organisations, and industry leaders from around the world to discuss the Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry.

The Open Session of the General Assembly began with keynote speaker Neven Mimica, the European Commissioner for Consumer Policy, who spoke about the European consumer agenda.

Robert Madelin, Director General from the European Commission Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect) was also one of the speakers. Wrapping up the day with a keynote speech was Noëlle Lenoir, Former Minister of European Affairs in France.