EU Responsible Person for Cosmetics Sold in Germany
If your cosmetic brand is based outside the EU and wants to sell in Germany, you need an EU Responsible Person before placing products on the market. Lexora takes that role and manages your compliance file.
Who needs an EU Responsible Person for Germany?
Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, no cosmetic may be placed on the German market without a Responsible Person established in the EU. That applies whether you sell one product or a full range.
Non-EU brands
Any cosmetic brand established outside the EU placing products on the German market.
Importers & distributors
Businesses bringing cosmetics into the EU who need a designated RP independent of one supplier.
Private-label & indie brands
Skincare, perfume and colour brands selling D2C or via marketplaces in Germany.
Online sellers
Amazon, Shopify and retail sellers who must show a compliant RP before listing.
What your Responsible Person does
- Keeps the Product Information File available to authorities for the required period.
- Ensures the CPSR and PIF are complete and current for every product.
- Supports the CPNP notification before market placement.
- Reviews labels, claims and warnings for the target market.
- Acts as the single contact point for competent authorities.
What Lexora reviews before taking the RP role
We confirm your product is genuinely ready before our name goes on it — so the appointment protects your brand instead of exposing it.
Formula & ingredients
INCI list checked against EU annexes and concentration limits.
Safety report status
Whether a valid CPSR exists or needs to be prepared.
PIF completeness
Every required document present, current and consistent.
Label & claims
Mandatory elements, German language and substantiation.
Common mistakes entering the German market
- Selling on German marketplaces or D2C before a valid EU Responsible Person is appointed.
- Leaving mandatory label elements in English only instead of German for the German market.
- Assuming compliance in a non-EU home market transfers automatically to Germany.
- Using product claims that cannot be substantiated in the Product Information File.
- Treating CPNP notification as a German national registration or pre-market approval.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an EU Responsible Person to sell cosmetics in Germany?
Yes. Every cosmetic placed on the German (and wider EU) market must have a designated EU Responsible Person established in the EU. Lexora can be appointed as your RP for the German market.
Can a non-EU brand sell cosmetics directly to customers in Germany?
Yes, but only once an EU Responsible Person is in place and the product has a CPSR, a complete PIF, compliant German labelling and a CPNP notification. We prepare these before your first sale.
Does my cosmetic label need to be in German?
For products sold in Germany, the mandatory elements (function, warnings, durability) must appear in German. The ingredient list stays in INCI. We review and correct your artwork for the German market.
Is one EU Responsible Person enough for Germany and other EU countries?
Yes. The RP and CPNP notification are EU-level, so a single Responsible Person covers Germany and every other EU member state where you sell.
Do I need to register my cosmetics with a German authority?
There is no separate German pre-market registration. The correct route is EU compliance: an RP, a CPSR, a PIF, compliant labelling and a CPNP notification, which applies EU-wide. We handle the process end to end.
Appoint Lexora as your EU Responsible Person
Send us your product type, formula status and target EU markets. We will confirm the exact steps for the German market — with a fixed scope and price before any work begins.