SIMI meets ECLG and EPA

A delegation from the Society of Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) committee was recently invited to meet with representatives from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to discuss the revision of the VOC Regulations, which has been prompted by the Solvents Directive being recast by Chapter V of the Industrial Emissions Directive.

SIMI Operations Manager, Emma Mitchell, along with representatives from both the SIMI Wholesaler and VBRS Committees used the very constructive meeting to highlight ongoing concerns regarding the lack of policing when it comes to supply and use of non compliant paints.

The situation as it stands, according to SIMI, is that anyone can walk into a Motor Factors and purchase Solvent-Based paints. SIMI would like to see a situation where only an AIC certified bodyshop can purchase these paints, which would also be a very effective way to tackle the ever growing black economy presence in the body repair sector. While acknowledging that this may cause both enforcement and data-protection issues, SIMI feels that it is worth looking into.

Get the full story in the next edition of the Irish Bodyshop Journal.