From the PPWR Regulation to the CLP Omnibus, Assovernici, represented by Technical-Regulatory Manager Paolo Bonamigo, takes stock of new European measures and their implications and opportunities for businesses.
The paint and coatings sector is facing a significant acceleration in regulatory activity. While this provides direction, it also complicates the industry's path toward the green transition. This point is highlighted by Paolo Bonamigo, Technical-Regulatory Manager at Assovernici, the association representing the architectural and industrial coatings sectors. These sectors employ approximately 15,000 people in Italy and generate an estimated annual turnover of €3.5 billion, with a production volume exceeding one million tonnes.
One of the most pressing challenges is the new PPWR. Although designed to reduce waste volumes and encourage recycling and reuse, its practical implementation is creating major operational complications for paint manufacturers and potentially jeopardising the Single Market.
“From declarations of conformity for every type of packaging and requests for detailed information from suppliers to the difficulties of obtaining documents from non-EU manufacturers, the administrative burden is mounting. Furthermore, since waste management remains the responsibility of individual Member States, companies are facing a bureaucratic escalation. While established recycling chains exist for materials like PET, the paint and coatings sector often uses multi-material packaging—such as metal combined with paper. Consequently, overly rigid requirements risk making it extremely difficult to meet recyclability criteria and could impact packaging for dangerous goods,” notes Paolo Bonamigo.
Another obligation to consider is the annual reporting of microplastic emissions, which requires adequate resources and training. CEPE, the association representing European manufacturers, is currently defining a calculation method to estimate emissions, aiming to provide operators with a standardised approach by the end of the year so they are prepared for the reporting deadline of May 31, 2027.
“Safeguarding companies must extend beyond the internal management of emissions or spills to include outsourced operations, such as the transport of dangerous goods and waste disposal. This is not merely a technical issue; it directly involves corporate management. To support its members, Assovernici is therefore planning a webinar with a lawyer specializing in environmental law. The Stop the Clock clause has indeed postponed key deadlines to January 2028, providing breathing room for products already on the market; however, Assovernici notes that, despite positive aspects like new advertising rules replacing pictograms with clearer warning phrases, significant challenges remain. The requirement for minimum font sizes on labels, combined with the need to include all languages for target markets, will force manufacturers to redesign labels or resort to costlier multi-page versions, thereby increasing warehouse inventory and associated extra costs. Despite the attention shown by the European Environment Council and the efforts of ECHA’s Enforcement Forum to prepare online verification programs, the first official inspection program dedicated to imported products is not scheduled until 2028—a delay that risks undermining the competitiveness of our companies vis-à-vis non-EU rivals,” adds Paolo Bonamigo.
Finally, regarding innovation, there has been a slowdown in the large-scale adoption of sustainable and bio-based raw materials. Despite intensive research activity, their use remains limited to small-scale trials. Furthermore, the current emphasis on price, exacerbated by global supply chain issues stemming from international tensions, prevents these products from commanding a price premium, thereby placing them at a disadvantage in both consumer markets and public procurement.
Acting as a compass and operational ally to help companies navigate the regulatory maze, including through dedicated meetings, Assovernici sends a clear message to industry entrepreneurs regarding this vast array of obligations: they must be tackled with a strategic vision - seizing the opportunity to streamline product portfolios and identify key competitive advantages.
“The need to analyse packaging documentation, reports, and declarations of conformity in detail can serve as a starting point for defining and communicating concrete, data-backed sustainability strategies, differentiating themselves from the competition and standing out in the market,” concludes Bonamigo.