NicolaCollins posted on June 29, 2011 09:22
VTCT’s Health and Beauty Development Officer, FHT Vice-President and CEPEC President, Carina Fagan-Brereton, has been unanimously voted in 
by technical experts and representatives of national standards bodies in European countries, as Chairman of the CEN 409 European Technical Committee. The CEN TC 409 has been tasked to produce a European Standard for Beauty Salons across 31 countries in Europe.
VTCT’s Chief Verifier and FHT Vice-President, Gerri Moore has also been appointed to the CEN TC 409, as the BSI (British Standards Institute) appointed Head of UK Delegation. Also representing the UK on the CEN TC 409 is Cheryl Cole (FFHT), Director of a VTCT independent centre.
According to European Directive 98/34/EC, The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) is the only recognised European organisation for the planning, drafting and adoption of European Standards in all areas of economic activity.
This new European Standard for Beauty Salons will be based initially on Codes of Practice available in the UK and other countries, such as those produced by Committee members Habia, BABTAC, FHT, BASC (British Association of Skin Camouflage) and BIAE (British Institute and Association of Electrolysis) and will also seek to set qualification requirements for beauty therapists, which map to the EQF (European Qualifications Framework) such as VTCT’s suite of QCF beauty therapy qualifications.
The following countries are participating in the development of the European Standard for Beauty Salons: UK, Italy, Malta, Ireland, France, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, and Finland.
The new European Standard will include topics such as quality assurance, ethics and professional practice (hygiene, health and safety), training, qualifications and Continuing Professional Development. Other treatments being considered include medical aesthetic treatments such as botox/fillers, dental practices such as teeth whitening, as well as body piercing, tattooing and acupuncture.
Carina says, “I am so excited that my idea to have a European wide standard for beauty therapists and beauty salons, which I originally presented to CEN and CEPEC back in 2007, has finally come to fruition.
When I first came up with the idea, I didn’t know how difficult it would be to get the project approved, and when I found out that we would need funding of approximately €24,000 to get the project off the ground, I thought it was hopeless.
A chance meeting in Brussels with a NORMAPME (associate CEN member organisation) official, when we were both locked out of a building where our meeting was due to take place, resulted in a lengthy discussion about the project, many follow up emails, and the official secured funding from the European Commission, for the beauty salon standardisation project.
VTCT Chief Executive, Dr. Stephen Vickers (who has experience of BSI projects) and FHT Chief Executive, John French came onboard to support the project and they both took part in many of the proposal meetings. Finally, after wider consultation and a narrowing of the scope of the project a new proposal was submitted. European countries voted and in March 2011 the project was approved.
After four years we are finally at the start of the standards development process. It may take up to three more years to develop and publish this European Standard for Beauty Salons, however I believe it is worth the time and effort as it will enhance the status of our profession, support business and promote EQF (European Qualifications Framework) qualifications.
Furthermore, it means that all countries including the UK will be obliged to withdraw any conflicting national standards, in favour of this new European standard, a move that in itself will promote mobility of the profession and mutual recognition of beauty therapy qualifications in Europe.
VTCT centres in Ireland, Italy and Malta will have qualifications based on a common European standard. It will also allow for further VTCT expansion into other European countries as the marketplace will be obliged to adopt this single European standard. I am very proud and grateful for the widespread industry support for this new development”