The group is calling for a clear, regulatory definition of both natural and organic cosmetics and hopes to represent the natural cosmetics industry's voice in negotiations.

NaTrue also aims to represent the industry in future regulatory developments both within Europe and on an international level.

Industrty players say that the move was urgently needed due to the rapid proliferation of naturals orientated cosmetics and the current, somewhat nebulous definitions that are attached to the terms natural and organic, said Moritz Aeberfold, president of NaTrue, this morning.

Natural cosmetics lobby group

In Autumn 2007 leading pioneers in the natural cosmetics industry in Europe joined together to form the European Natural and Organic cosmetics interest group, the EEIG, explained Aerberfold. The group will represent the interests of the naturald industry in Brussels under the name NaTrue.

Companies involved in the creation of NaTrue include Weleda, Dr Hauschka, Santeverde, Primavera and Logona, although the group is open to all interested companies, organisations and institutions.

Clarity for all through clear definitions

One of NaTrue's central missions is the development of clear regulatory definitions for both natural and organic cosmetics, and correspondingly the development of binding standards for high grade natural products and the proportion of organic ingredients in products on the market.

The group believe this will help clarify the situation for consumers and manufacturers alike.

CosmeticsDesign spoke to Moritz Aeberfold, who is also part of the management team at Weleda. He emphasised that the industry did not want to be marginalised in the development of such standards.

"When naturals are defined legally, which we expect to happen sooner rather than later, we want to be there on the table and to have a strong voice in the negotiations" he said.

"We want to present our point of view and our own research on natural ingredients and products, as well as our experiences."

The development of binding standards is necessary before an international system of labelling for organic and natural cosmetics can be achieved, which is a further aim of the group.

Furthermore, the group will push for a level of corporate social responsibility within the industry, encompassing the fair production of raw materials, gentle processing methods and a comprehensive observation of the ban on animal testing.

Regulatory representation for the industry

The group aims to represent the interests of manufacturers in all future regulatory developments in Europe and internationally, not just in the development of definitions and standards.

Aeberfold placed particular emphasis on the availability of natural raw materials, explaining that NaTrue would help ensure the availability was not inadvertently jeopardised by regulatory changes.

He did emphasise, however, that NaTrue will not be a competitor to Colipa, rather they aim to work with the trade association representing exclusively the natural players in the industry as opposed to the industry in general.