| Contact: Dr Richard
Holman Alternative environmental policy options for
the vehicle refinishing (VR) sector across the European
Union (EU) are being explored by the European Commission
(EC). This is in response to the possible reduced
environmental effectiveness, in the VR sector, of the
Solvent Emissions Directive which now applies only to
facilities with a solvent consumption capacity greater
than 500 kg/year.
PRA and environmental consultancy Entec UK Ltd were
commissioned by the EC to investigate a potential product
based approach to reducing volatile organic compound (VOC)
emissions from the VR sector.
Following consultation with VR trade associations in
all Member States and undertaking literature searches a
detailed size analysis of the VR sector for each Member
State and for the EU as a whole was developed. This is
presented for the current market situation and for the
future situation when a proposed policy for a product
based approach might be implemented (for the purposes of
this study this is taken as 2007).
Following detailed investigation into low VOC content
coatings for VR applications a set of reference coatings
were identified. The coatings identified are commercially
available and were selected as representing high
achievable levels of VOC reduction in comparison to
current typically used coatings.
Finally, analysis was carried out on the human health,
environmental and economic impacts should the EU adopt
the reference coatings approach to reducing VOC emissions.
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