Autobiz exclusively reveals details of new environmental regulations for the bodyshop sector.

Friday December 21st will hopefully go down as a land mark day for the Irish Accident Repair Industry, the day that revised regulations for the inspection and issuing of certificates for vehicle refinishing installations were signed off by Phil Hogan, Minister for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The new regulations are now officially in force, with a further move on the introduction of fixed penalty notices expected later this month.

The changes to the regulations come after extensive lobbying by organisations such as the Vehicle Repairers Association (VRA), who brought to light the impracticalities and injustice of the previous regime.

The new regulations include several significant changes. These include;

- The period of certification by local authorities for compliant vehicle refinishers will be extended from two to three years.

- AIC inspectors will no longer be required to have INAB accreditation. This should open up the role to new inspection organisations and create competition in the sector, which should lead to reduced inspection cost. It is understood that the EPA will appoint interim assessors while these change takes effect.

- A national panel of approved assessors will be appointed by the EPA before September 30th 2013. This panel will be reviewed every three years.

- Existing certificates of approval that are valid on 31st Dec 2012 may be renewed by a local authority to be valid until 30 Sept 2016.

- Although the certification period will be extended refinishers will have to submit information annually to their local authority.

- The maximum fine for uncertified operators is being increased from €3,000 to €5,000.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is also putting in place a legal provision for fixed penalty notices in relation to uncertified vehicle refinishers. This will mean that local authorities will have the power to issue fixed penalty notices, or on the spot fines, to anyone who is refinishing vehicles and does not have a valid certificate, or has a certificate but is using a non-compliant product. This means illegal operators who have evaded the law because of the protracted and lengthy legal process, could find themselves facing hefty and immediate fines for non-compliance.

With regard to the continued sale of non-compliant product, the new regulations also include additional powers in relation to inspection of motor factor premises and seizure of non-compliant product.

Read the full story of the new environmental regulations and how they will impact on the Irish bodyshop market in the February edition of Autobiz Magazine.


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