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European Industrial Painters Launch Association

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

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Industrial painting contractors in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands have formalized their growing cooperation by founding a new organization.

The European Association of Industrial Painting Contractors/ Union Européenne des Entreprises de Peinture Industrielle (EAIPC/UEEPI) was founded Sept. 1 in Brussels, capping an informal cooperative effort that began in October 2010.

Photos: EAIPC

The association includes industrial painting contractors from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

Painting contractors in Spain and the UK, which signed last year’s Declaration of Intent to form the group, were not listed as members of the new association.

Protection and Preservation

The new association “represents, and takes actions to safeguard and to promote, the interests of entrepreneurs and enterprises engaged in industrial painting and related fields at the international level.”

The group defines industrial painting as “the application of surface covering, preserving, protecting, decorating, functionality-enhancing or -changing, organic and inorganic layer and/or layers on untreated and treated metal surfaces and concrete structures, including all required pretreatments.”

The association “aims to strengthen the position of the industrial painting sector, by exchanging and developing knowledge and through good cooperation with other parties in the supply chain,” according to its policy. “This way the industrial painting sector further enhances the protection and preservation of capital and investment goods.”

Focus on Training, Standards

The group will focus on cross-border exchanges of knowledge and information, specifically in the areas of:

• Training and qualification of personnel;

• Requirements of principals/clients;

• European regulations and standardization; and

• Waste reduction and treatment.

The initial General Meeting in Brussels set up working groups to carry out activities in these fields. These groups will meet regularly and will report on their work annually at the General Meeting.

E.J. (Edwin) Meeuwsen is the point of contact for the new European Association of Industrial Painting Contractors.

The association elected E.J. (Edwin) Meeuwsen as its point of contact for 2011 and 2012. He will provide secretarial support and manage the organization’s finances during this period.