Sell Cosmetics in Austria: Regulatory Compliance Guide

• BASG (legal authority) and AGES (operational partner) together form the competent authority for cosmetics in Austria under Regulation (EC) 1223/2009.
• German is mandatory for all consumer-facing label elements (BGBl. II Nr. 330/2013).
• Cosmetic safety assessors must be authorised by the Ministry of Health under § 73 LMSVG.

1. The EU framework applies — notify once, sell everywhere

Austria applies Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 directly — the harmonised rules that govern cosmetic products across the entire European Union. There is no parallel national regime: the safety, composition, and labelling rules are the same as in the rest of the EU.

In practice, selling in Austria within the EU framework means meeting four common obligations that are not specific to this country:

• A single CPNP notification covers the entire EU market, including Austria.
• A single EU-established Responsible Person is accountable for the product.
• A single product information file (PIF), which includes the cosmetic product safety report (CPSR).

This guide does not repeat that common framework — it focuses on what is specific to Austria. For the cross-cutting concepts, see also what the CosIng database is and how to use it.

2. The national competent authority

The legal competent authority is the Bundesamt für Sicherheit im Gesundheitswesen (BASG) — Federal Office for Safety in Health Care. BASG is the federal-level legal decision-making body.

As its operational partner, AGES (Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit — Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety) executes BASG's statutory functions: it is Austria's largest official cosmetics testing laboratory and maintains the public-facing information portal for businesses at ages.at/en/human/cosmetics. For practical interactions, AGES is the main point of contact; formal legal acts go through BASG. There is no regional split — BASG/AGES operate at federal level.

The split of responsibilities means that when you look for practical guidance on labelling requirements, PIF structure, or notification procedures, the AGES cosmetics portal is where Austrian authorities publish their operational instructions. When an administrative or enforcement decision is required — such as a market withdrawal order or penalty notice — it will be issued by BASG. For most compliance purposes, a brand entering the Austrian market will deal primarily with AGES as the operational interface.

3. Labelling language requirements

German is mandatory for all consumer-facing label elements in Austria. The legal basis is the Austrian Cosmetics Implementing Regulation (Kosmetische Mittel-Verordnung, BGBl. II Nr. 330/2013), which sets labelling requirements for both packaged and unpackaged cosmetic products.

Elements that must appear in German include: nominal content, minimum durability date or period after opening (PAO), special precautions and warnings, product function, and usage instructions where not self-evident from presentation.

AGES notes that while there is no express statutory obligation to prepare the product information file in German, inspecting authorities expect it in a language they can readily understand — German is the practical standard for market inspections.

Practical implication for international brands: A product already sold in Germany with German labelling will generally be compliant in Austria for labelling purposes, since both countries require German as the consumer language. However, Austrian-specific regulatory layers — particularly the authorised safety assessor list and the LMSVG framework — still apply and must be verified independently.

INCI ingredient names are exempt from the language requirement, as they are internationally standardised nomenclature.

4. National particularities

LMSVG: the food safety and consumer protection framework

The primary national framework for cosmetics is the LMSVG (Lebensmittelsicherheits- und Verbraucherschutzgesetz — Food Safety and Consumer Protection Act), together with the BGBl. II Nr. 330/2013 implementing regulation. This framework underpins BASG/AGES supervision of cosmetics as a consumer product category.

Authorised safety assessors (§ 73 LMSVG)

A notable Austria-specific requirement is that cosmetic product safety assessors — the qualified persons responsible for producing the CPSR — must be authorised by the Austrian Ministry of Health under § 73 LMSVG (group C Z 9 — "Kosmetische Erzeugnisse"). AGES publishes the list of authorised assessors, making it straightforward to identify qualified professionals for the Austrian market.

Austrian Food Codex

The Österreichisches Lebensmittelbuch (Austrian Food Codex) includes guidelines for natural and organic cosmetics. It is not legally binding, but it is used as a reference by authorities during inspections and is relevant for brands with a natural or organic positioning.

Austrian GMP alignment

Austria has its own GMP guideline for cosmetics manufacturing, aligned with ISO 22716 but with national implementation nuances. Manufacturers operating in Austria should verify that their GMP procedures reflect local interpretations of the standard, as BASG/AGES inspections may reference the Austrian implementation specifically.

No pre-market authorisation

There is no pre-market authorisation requirement. Austria operates a post-market surveillance model. For verifying ingredient compliance against the Regulation's annexes, the CosIng database is the standard reference.

For other markets in the region, see our guides to the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Portugal.

5. Frequently asked questions

Which authority regulates cosmetics in Austria? BASG (Bundesamt für Sicherheit im Gesundheitswesen — Federal Office for Safety in Health Care) is the legal competent authority. AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety) acts as the operational partner, executing BASG's statutory functions and maintaining the public information portal for businesses.

What language must cosmetic labels be in for Austria? German is mandatory for all consumer-facing label elements. The legal basis is the Austrian Cosmetics Implementing Regulation (BGBl. II Nr. 330/2013). INCI ingredient names are exempt as international nomenclature.

Do I need a separate notification for Austria? No. A single CPNP notification covers the entire EU market, including Austria. There is no pre-market authorisation requirement.

Are there national particularities beyond Regulation 1223/2009? Yes. Austria requires cosmetic product safety assessors to be authorised by the Ministry of Health under § 73 LMSVG. AGES maintains a public list of authorised assessors. The Austrian Food Codex is also relevant for natural and organic cosmetics, though it is not legally binding.