CEPE Proposes ‘Harmonized’ VOC-Reduction Proposal for Architectural Coatings
BRUSSELS — CEPE, the European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists’ Colours Industry, has proposed a “harmonized” plan for control of VOCs in decorative (architectural) coatings in European Union countries. The proposal has been submitted to the European Commission, which is considering the results of a study on the issue carried out by a consortium of consultants hired by the commission.
In a statement on its proposal, CEPE said it “supports VOC reduction and advocates a harmonized EU Directive to avoid competitive distortions within Europe.” The CEPE proposal calls for a two-phase VOC-reduction program over a period of about 10 years, allowing paint manufacturers and users a reasonable amount of time to adapt to the new regulation. The organization estimates that the proposal will deliver total VOC reductions of more than 40% from paint products alone, with additional reductions in the use of solvents for clean-up and other associated purposes potentially pushing the reductions well above 50%.