Solvents and Decorative Paints
Ireland has regulations governing installations and activities using organic solvents (including vehicle refinishers and dry cleaners), these are:
- European Union (Paints, Varnishes, Vehicle Refinishing Products and Activities) Regulations 2012, S.I. No. 564 of 2012, commonly referred to as the Deco-Paint Regulations, & (Amendment) Regulations 2024, S.I. No. 356 of 2024
- European Union (Installations and Activities Using Organic Solvents) Regulations 2012, S.I. No. 565 of 2012, Commonly referred to as the Solvents Regulations, & (Amendment) Regulations 2024, S.I. No. 357 of 2024
The above regulations are relevant to operators in the Dry Cleaning and Vehicle Refinishing sectors using organic solvents as well as for certain industrial solvent use activities which are not licenced by the Environmental Protection Agency but which fall within the scope of the Solvent Regulations.
The Regulations aim to prevent or reduce direct and indirect effects of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) into the environment and the potential risks to human health by providing measures and procedures to be implemented for specified activities.
Operators which fall under the scope of the regulations must hold an up to date certificate of compliance from the Local Authority. In order to acquire a certificate of compliance, an installation must first engage the services of an approved assessor (details below) for the purposes of having their premises inspected. The approved assessor shall determine the compliance of the operator with the requirements of the regulations and will issue a compliance report to the operator which will either recommend or decline the issuing of a certificate of compliance.
The report should be forwarded to Laois County Council by the owner/operator with a completed application form and the appropriate fee. The local authority must then decide, within 28 days, whether or not to issue a certificate of compliance. Certificates of compliance may be issued for a period of up to 3 years. However, certificates of a shorter duration may be issued if Laois County Council has concerns about a specific installation (including failure to renew certificates in time). An application for a renewal of a certificate of compliance must be made at least 28 days prior to its expiry date.
Instances of non-compliance with this legislation may result in a fixed payment notice (on-the-spot fine) of up to €1000. To avoid a fixed payment notice, you must be registered with your local authority for a valid Certificate of Compliance. Please refer to the above legislation for a list of activities that require a certificate.
Approved Assessors
The details of the only Approved Assessor currently operating in Ireland are as follows:
Enviroguide Consulting – Address: Head Office, Enviroguide Consulting, 3D, Core C, Block 71, The Plaza, Park West, Dublin 12, D12F9TN
Phone: 01 565 4730
Email: AA@enviroguide.ie and info@enviroguide.ie
Web: www.enviroguide.ie
Certificate of Compliance Fee Information
- New applications: €70
- Renewal applications: €50
- Where an application for a renewal is not submitted prior to the expiration of the Certificate of Compliance, the subsequent application will then be considered as a ‘New’ application and therefore, will be subject to the higher fee.
Further information is available from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website at the links below:
- Decorative Paints Information
- Solvents Information
- Best Practice Guide – Dry Cleaners 2013
- Best Practice Guide – Vehicle Refinishers 2013
Application Forms and Registers:
Attach documents here.