Spanish Law 4/2022 of February 25 on the protection of consumers and users, incorporated the mandatory labeling in Braille on consumer products, such as cosmetics. To draft the Royal Decree that mandates the law, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, CERMI (Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disabilities), and ONCE (Spanish National Organization of Blind People), formed a working group for the preparation of the regulatory standard. This mandatory Braille labelling in cosmetics raises however several concerns from trade associations such as PCPC and Detic.
Including basic information in Braille such as the product name or the allergens present in the product is a step toward the real inclusion of people who are blind or have severe visual impairments as well as toward the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, mainly SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities) and SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production). But due to the space limitations of some packaging, it is not possible to include all the relevant information that any consumer needs in Braille: the full ingredient list, the expiration date, or the contact information of the Responsible Person.
This additional information should be available through an accessible quick response (QR) code, clearly identified by a tactile mark and easily located by a blind person using their mobile device. This code can also include information in other formats, such as easy-to-read, that may be useful to other people with disabilities.
This Royal Decree to guarantee the safety, autonomy, and quality of life of people who are blind or severely visually impaired was notified on the 20th June to the EU Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS), and opened for comments until 23 September 2025.
By Cecilia Rozada Raneros, Junior Safety Assessor
