Sale of solvent-based basecoats for accident repair in Britain still illegal after Brexit

Following a meeting of BCF’s Vehicle Refinish Committee, the BCF confirmed that it will still be illegal to sell solvent-based basecoats for accident repair in a post-Brexit Britain. Non-compliance has increased significantly since the Brexit vote in 2016, with rumours that the EU law (the VOC Paint Product Directive) will no longer apply once the UK leaves the EU. The BCF plan on raising this with Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove, whilst also drafting similar letters to 400 distributors, reminding them that they will still have to comply with the VOC regulations, even after Britain has officially left the EU.

Harming of environment and adding to VOC emissions

The BCF has been proactive in raising awareness of the continued and growing sales of solvent-based basecoats – as much as 30% of basecoat sales in the UK are now solvent-based which is a serious concern for the industry. Distributors selling solvent-based basecoats are not only breaking the law, they are harming the environment and adding to VOC emissions.

Additional Information:

You want to switch from solvent- to water-borne technology? If yes, this book and seminar could be of great value to you:

Seminar: Water-borne coatings (May 2019)

Textbook:Additives for water-borne coatings