What COSMOS-standard AISBL does

COSMOS-standard AISBL is a Brussels-headquartered non-profit international independent association (Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif) that develops and manages the COSMOS-standard for organic and natural cosmetics certification. Founded by five leading European certifiers — BDIH (Germany), Cosmebio (France), Ecocert (France), ICEA (Italy), and the Soil Association (United Kingdom) — the organization stewards four certification signatures: COSMOS ORGANIC and COSMOS NATURAL for finished retail products, and COSMOS CERTIFIED and COSMOS APPROVED for raw materials. It serves two primary customer segments: cosmetics manufacturers seeking certification for finished products and raw material suppliers seeking ingredient-level certification, with downstream reach into consumers and retailers through publicly searchable databases.

The organization's core assets are codified certification criteria (Version 4.2, applicable since 2025), accompanying technical/labelling/control manuals, and a Django/PostgreSQL web platform (hosted by Alwaysdata) hosting searchable databases for certified products, raw materials, and companies across 80+ countries, with multilingual support in seven languages. Distribution of certification services is delegated to 12 authorized Certification Bodies across Europe, Australia, and Asia (including ECOCERT GREENLIFE, Cosmecert, ICEA, Soil Association Certification, Bureau Veritas, Control Union Korea, CAAE, ETKO, IFC GLOBAL, IONC, and Korea Testing & Research Institute).

COSMOS-standard AISBL generates revenue through certification authorization and licensing fees paid by its authorized certification bodies and through membership dues from its founding member associations, with an annual billing cadence for certifier fees. Pricing for individual product certification is set by the authorized certification bodies, not by COSMOS directly. As of January 2026, the COSMOS signature is held by over 54,400 products and raw materials, including more than 31,100 certified retail products and more than 23,200 certified or approved raw materials across 80 countries, with 2,864 companies represented in its companies database.

Name

COSMOS-standard AISBL

Legal name

COSMOS-standard AISBL

Website

https://cosmos-standard.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COSMOS-standard AISBL is a Brussels-based non-profit association that manages the COSMOS-standard for organic and natural cosmetics certification, serving cosmetics manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and retailers across 80 countries through 12 authorized certification bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Cosmetics Certification

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Certification Program Administration & Scheme Management (Standard Owners) (AFALACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Organic Certification Services (AFALAMAA)

Keywords

• Organic cosmetics certification
• Natural cosmetics standards
• Cosmetic raw materials certification
• Non-profit standards association
• Cosmetics sustainability certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Certification Fees: COSMOS authorizes Certification Bodies to conduct certification and charges fees for the authorization and ongoing use of the COSMOS standard and signatures. The organization publishes a detailed fees document outlining costs for Certification Bodies and COSMOS members.
2. Membership Dues: The non-profit association collects membership fees from its founding members and potentially other members. Mentioned as available through contact for general or membership enquiries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

COSMOS-standard AISBL manages the COSMOS-standard, a certification framework for organic and natural cosmetics, issuing four distinct certification signatures (COSMOS ORGANIC and COSMOS NATURAL for finished retail products, COSMOS CERTIFIED and COSMOS APPROVED for raw materials). Certification is delivered through a global network of 12 authorized Certification Bodies, supported by public searchable databases of certified products, raw materials, and companies, plus standard documentation including the Standard Document (v4.2), Technical Guide, Labelling Guide, and Control Manual.

Product overview

COSMOS-standard AISBL is a non-profit international independent association (based in Brussels, Belgium) that manages the COSMOS-standard for organic and natural cosmetics certification. The organization offers a portfolio of four certification signatures: COSMOS ORGANIC and COSMOS NATURAL for finished retail products, and COSMOS CERTIFIED and COSMOS APPROVED for raw materials. The portfolio also includes public databases (Products Directory, Companies Database, Certified Raw Materials, Approved Raw Materials) and comprehensive documentation (Standard Document, Technical Guide, Labelling Guide, Control Manual). COSMOS authorizes 12 certification bodies worldwide to conduct certifications. The organization had over 31,100 certified products, 11,800 COSMOS CERTIFIED raw materials, and 11,400 COSMOS APPROVED raw materials as of January 2026, spanning 80 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• COSMOS ORGANIC Certification Consumer guarantee certification signature for finished retail cosmetics products meeting COSMOS-standard criteria for organic content and sustainability. Used by cosmetics brands and manufacturers to substantiate organic claims on packaging.
• COSMOS NATURAL Certification Consumer guarantee certification signature for natural cosmetics products meeting COSMOS-standard criteria. Distinguishes natural products that do not meet the organic threshold of COSMOS ORGANIC.
• COSMOS CERTIFIED Raw Materials Certification signature for cosmetic raw materials containing organic content, meeting COSMOS-standard criteria for certified ingredients. Over 11,800 raw materials currently carry this signature.
• COSMOS APPROVED Raw Materials Approval signature for cosmetic raw materials without organic content, approved for use in COSMOS-certified finished products based on documentary evidence from manufacturers. Over 11,400 raw materials currently carry this signature.
• COSMOS Certified Products Directory Publicly searchable directory of COSMOS ORGANIC and COSMOS NATURAL certified retail products, searchable by brand, company, certification body, and standard version. Currently lists 31,354 certified products for consumer and retailer authentication.
• Companies Database Public database of companies certified or working with COSMOS across 80+ countries, listing 2,864 companies globally and searchable by country for authentication and discovery.
• COSMOS Standard Document (Version 4.2) The complete COSMOS standard document (Version 4.2) including glossary of definitions, applicable since September 1, 2025. Defines the criteria companies must meet to certify organic or natural cosmetics.
• COSMOS Technical Guide (Version 4.2) Technical guide providing additional interpretation and explanation to complement the COSMOS Standard document Version 4.2, used by certification bodies and applicants.
• COSMOS Labelling Guide Guide describing how to apply COSMOS Standard rules to product labels and packaging, used by certified brands for compliant on-pack communication.
• COSMOS Control Manual (Version 4.2) Accreditation and certification requirements for the COSMOS Standard, applicable to certification bodies. Sets out the criteria for authorizing and overseeing the 12 Certification Bodies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 54,400+ products and raw materials carry the COSMOS signature (as of January 2026)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NATRUEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2026Joint position statement issued with NATRUE on EU Directive 2024/825 (Empowering Consumers Directive). Both organizations collaborated to provide guidance for brands and retailers on navigating the EU's new sustainability rules.
• BDIH (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of five founding members of COSMOS-standard AISBL. BDIH (German Association of Industries and Trading Companies for pharmaceutical, health care, medicinal and cosmetic products) continues to contribute expertise to the development and management of the COSMOS-standard. BDIH representative Harald Dittmar previously served as Board Chair.
• Cosmebio (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of five founding members of COSMOS-standard AISBL. The French association continues to bring combined expertise to the continuous development and management of the COSMOS-standard.
• Ecocert (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of five founding members of COSMOS-standard AISBL. Ecocert, a major international organic certification body, contributes to the development and management of the COSMOS-standard. Many raw materials and products are certified through ECOCERT GREENLIFE.
• ICEA (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of five founding members of COSMOS-standard AISBL. ICEA (Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale) continues to contribute expertise. ICEA representative Mariano Serratore currently serves as Board Chair.
• Soil Association (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of five founding members of COSMOS-standard AISBL. The UK's leading organic certification body continues to bring combined expertise to the development and management of the COSMOS-standard. Soil Association Certification is one of the authorized Certification Bodies.
• 12 Authorized Certification BodiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor12 authorized Certification Bodies authorized by COSMOS to certify retail products and raw materials worldwide. Includes: ECOCERT GREENLIFE, Cosmecert, ICEA, Soil Association Certification, Bureau Veritas Certification, Control Union Korea, CAAE, ETKO, IFC GLOBAL, IONC, Korea Testing & Research Institute, and others based in Europe, Australia and Asia.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ICEA: Italian ethical and environmental certification institute (Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale), COSMOS founding member and current home of Board Chair Mariano Serratore, which also operates its own organic and natural cosmetics certifications.
• NATRUE: Brussels-based International Natural and Organic Cosmetics Association operating its own certification standard for natural and organic cosmetics. The closest direct competitor to COSMOS, recently co-issuing a joint position statement on EU Directive 2024/825.
• Soil Association Certification: UK-based organic certification body and COSMOS founding member that certifies products under both the Soil Association organic standard and the COSMOS standard, providing a parallel organic/natural scheme.
• BDIH: German association for natural and personal care products that maintains its own Kontrollierte Naturkosmetik standard. COSMOS founding member but also competes as an independent natural cosmetics certification mark in Germany and beyond.

Broad incumbents

• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection and certification company. Provides certification, auditing and verification services across cosmetics, personal care and sustainability, competing for the same brand and supply-chain customers as COSMOS.
• TÜV SÜD: Global technical certification and testing organization offering product, quality and sustainability certifications relevant to cosmetics and personal care, including organic and natural claims verification.
• Ecocert Greenlife: French-based global organic certification body and COSMOS founding member that certifies across food, cosmetics, textiles and beyond. Operates its own ECOCERT and Cosmos-approved certifications, dwarfing COSMOS in certification breadth and revenue.
• Bureau Veritas Certification: Global testing, inspection and certification giant and one of the 12 authorized COSMOS Certification Bodies. Offers competing sustainability, quality and product certification schemes across cosmetics and consumer goods.
• NSF International: Global public health and safety organization providing product certification, including standards for personal care products and ingredient verification, competing for brand-side sustainability and quality certification budgets.

Regional players

• Australian Certified Organic: Australia's largest organic certification body, offering organic certification for cosmetics and personal care products primarily in the Australian and Oceanian market, complementing COSMOS reach in the APAC region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/COSMOSstandard
• Xx.com/COSMOSstandard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cosmos-standard-aisbl

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about COSMOS-standard AISBL