Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 22 November 2023

1. Approximation of lawsRegistration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicalsREACH RegulationAssessment procedureCompliance check of registration dossiersDecision of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) requesting additional informationRequest for toxicity studies on a chemical substance used exclusively as an ingredient in cosmetic products involving animal testingWhether permissibleProhibition of animal testingScope

(European Parliament and Council Regulations No 1907/2006, recital 13 and Art. 2, and No 1223/2009, Arts 10, 11, 18(1)(b) and (d), and 25(1)(g))

(see paragraphs 67-70, 73-78)

2. Approximation of lawsRegistration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicalsREACH RegulationObjectivesHigh level of protection of human healthObjective corresponding to that pursued in the cosmetics sectorIdentical objective for different categories of person

(European Parliament and Council Regulations No 1907/2006, Art. 1(1) and (3), and No 1223/2009, Art. 3)

(see paragraphs 83-85)

3. Approximation of lawsRegistration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicalsREACH RegulationAssessment procedureCompliance check of registration dossiersDecision of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) requesting additional informationRequest for toxicity studies on a chemical substance used exclusively as an ingredient in cosmetic products involving animal testingObligation to assess workers’ exposure to the chemical substance during manufactureScopePossibility for a registrant to be exempted from providing standard information on the intrinsic properties of the chemical substanceNone

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1907/2006, Art. 14(5)(b) and Annex XI)

(see paragraphs 90-95)

4. Approximation of lawsRegistration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicalsREACH RegulationAssessment procedureCompliance check of registration dossiersDecision of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) requesting additional informationAction brought before the Board of Appeal of ECHATask of the Board of AppealIntensity of the reviewAssessment of highly complex scientific and technical factsRestriction of the review to the assessment of manifest errors of assessment by ECHANot included

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1907/2006)

(see paragraphs 129, 130)

5. Approximation of lawsRegistration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicalsREACH RegulationAssessment procedureCompliance check of registration dossiersDecision of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) requesting additional informationAction brought before the EU CourtsIntensity of the reviewAssessment of highly complex scientific and technical factsRestriction of the review to the assessment of manifest errors of assessment by ECHAIncluded

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1907/2006)

(see paragraphs 131, 149)

6. Approximation of lawsRegistration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicalsREACH RegulationAssessment procedureCompliance check of registration dossiersDecision of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) requesting additional informationRequest for toxicity studies on a chemical substance used exclusively as an ingredient in cosmetic products involving animal testingObligation on every registrant to generate information obtained by means other than animal testing whenever possible

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1907/2006, Art. 25)

(see paragraphs 240-242)

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Symrise AG to pay its own costs as well as those incurred by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), including those relating to the interim proceedings;

3. Orders Cruelty Free Europe (CFE), PETA International Science Consortium Ltd, PETA Science Consortium International eV, European Federation for Cosmetics Ingredients (EFfCI), Unilever U.K. Central Resources Ltd and Unilever ASCC AG each to pay their own costs.