Article 10 of the regulation specifies that "the safety assessment of the cosmetic product, as set out in Annex I, Part B, shall be carried out by a person holding a degree or other qualification certifying completion of university-level theoretical and practical training in pharmacy, toxicology, medicine, or any other similar discipline, or equivalent training recognized by a Member State," i.e., by a safety assessor.
Therefore, they must meet certain qualification requirements:
1. French State Diploma of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, State Diploma of Veterinarian, or one of the veterinary diplomas, certificates, or qualifications issued by other Member States of the European Union, States party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, or the Swiss Confederation.
2. A French national doctoral degree or one of the degrees, certificates, or qualifications of a comparable level to a French doctorate issued by other Member States of the European Union, States party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, or the Swiss Confederation, certifying research in the field of toxicology or ecotoxicology.
3. A French national master's degree or one of the degrees, certificates, or qualifications issued by other Member States of the European Union, States party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, or the Swiss Confederation, recognized by the issuing State as being at the master's level (conferring 120 ECTS credits after a first degree conferring 180 ECTS credits).
This diploma, certificate, or qualification must also demonstrate at least 60 validated ECTS credits in the fields of toxicology or ecotoxicology and risk assessment.
4. Advanced Studies Diploma (DEA) in toxicology or ecotoxicology.
5. Specialized Higher Studies Diploma (DESS) in toxicology or ecotoxicology.
The safety assessor plays a crucial role; their expertise is essential for the marketing of a cosmetic product.
Unlike the responsible person, the safety assessor is only bound by an obligation of means, not of results. The responsible person and the assessor work as a team. The responsible person provides the safety assessor with all the information they need for their assessment. The assessor is obligated to conduct their scientific assessment to the best of their ability, given the available scientific knowledge. Just because a product turns out to be defective doesn't necessarily mean the safety assessment was flawed.