The EU Commission sent a request for a Scientific Opinion to the SCCS on Phenoxyethanol. The terms of this mandate were ‘Does SCCS consider Phenoxyethanol safe for use as a preservative with a maximum concentration of 1.0 %, taking into account the information provided?’.

This SCCS Opinion was released by the EU Commission yesterday and, based on it, it is likely that the use level of Phenoxyethanol will remain 1%. Indeed, the main conclusion of this opinion is that “The SCCS considers 2 phenoxyethanol safe for use as a preservative with a maximum concentration of 1.0%, taking into account the information provided.”

Although a consultation period is now open (which allows France to share its disappointment about this opinion), it is expected that the current regulatory developments on Phenoxyethanol will stop here.
The deadline for comments is May 31st, 2016.