The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) spent $190,000 lobbying to increase funding provisions for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first quarter. Concern about the financial health of the regulator is widespread, especially as more responsibility will be heaped on its shoulders if the draft of the FDA Globalization Act becomes law.
Lobbying Congress for more funding
In view of this, the Personal Care Products Council lobbied the House of Representatives, the Senate and the FDA in the first three months of the year, according to a disclosure report filed with the House clerk's office. The U.S. cosmetics trade association used the money to push for greater funding for the Office of Cosmetics & Colors at the FDA. It also sought to influence proposed legislation related to this matter.
Hearing on FDA legislation
At a meeting of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in May regarding the cosmetic safety provisions in the draft of the FDA Globalization Act, the head of the Personal Care Products Council, Pamela Bailey, called for greater funding for the FDA. Bailey told the hearing that the agency needed more resources to fulfill its current and future responsibilities effectively.
She emphasized the fact that the FDA's budget has reduced significantly in real terms during the past 30 years while its duties have become more onerous.
In its current form, the FDA Globalization Act will again increase its workload. The proposed legislation requires cosmetics manufacturers to register the products it manufacturers and their ingredients annually with the FDA subject to a $2,000 registration fee.
Under the proposals, companies will also have to comply with good manufacturing practices and report all anticipated and unanticipated adverse events.
CosmeticsDesign.com, July 9, 2008
