New legislation concerning low emissions refinish paints introduced this month will result in the biggest shake-up the bodyshop market has ever seen.

Unlike the original Environmental Protection Act, the new EU Product Directive switches the responsibility for using compliant paints from user to the paint suppliers themselves.

Policing of bodyshops, which was always a cause for concern with different local authorities pursuing different policies, now becomes redundant as repairers can no longer buy non-compliant refinish paints.

The legislation is concerned with reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a key ingredient in solvent-based paints. All refinish companies have had compliant waterbased paints for a number of years, with larger bodyshops already required to use them.

With this new directive, all bodyshops have to make the switch.

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