EC discussions revived on solvents Directive

Official discussions on a proposed EC solvents Directive resumed at the end of March after a break of almost two years. A revised draft tabled by the European Commission would give Member States extra flexibility in curbing solvent emissions from more than 20 sectors of industry, enabling them to choose between fixed EC emission limits, national emission reduction plans, and business-led reduction plans - or a mix of all three. But not all Member States favour such a flexible approach, and disputes are also continuing on whether some sectors with many small businesses should fall within the Directive's scope and how - and how tightly - their emissions should be regulated.