Its not an EEC thing, its a world wide thing, most countries are involved, we just abide by the EEC part of it.
All cellulose paints / laquers are banned for most uses, they can not be manufactured for those uses, You can still buy thinners if you can get them to sell it as they can sell it , the cheaper thinner formulations are banned under different laws regarding toluene and some other chemicals etc.
Spray paint in aerosols is not covered by the law and it is still supplied and mixed to colour code as it always has been, the bulk litre cans of paints from paint factors are banned unless you can get permision to use it, one way, your car needs to be classed by the goverment as a classic, then your local classic car club ( you need to be a member) they have a trained (by the goverment dvla etc ) member wil check your car to see if it is worth restoring , if it passes the requirements you then can have permission to buy and paint the car, the one time, an application is needed each time you paint in a suitable classic colour!
You do not need to be a proffessional car restorer, no saftey checks or anything, but you do need the one time licence from a car club each time you buy or use it!
For about 15+ years we have manufactured high VOC cellulose laquers , coloured paints and sanding sealers there is nothing in the new laws to stop us doing this or supplying them to any customer retail , trade ( retailer or wholesaler )
As we manufacture coloured solvent based high VOC enamels , cellulose and 2 pack paints.....and its completely legal to do so! and legal to sell to anyone for certain uses, its the use of it thats banned , and the manufacture for the use in illegal activities they list like homecare/diy, car etc
Its now not worth manufacturing it to most companies as they have lost there main market, 99% of all companies you see in modeling and in large diy stores even do not manufacture it mowst dont even pack it, so they cant buy it as its not being made, the market they have is not big enough to bother with manufacture for the supplier and they do not have the technical knowlege or equipment to make it themselves, especialy as you also need to have been manufacturing it before the year listed in the ban came in to keep making it!
There are still no problems buying the solvents,pigments or resins needed to make it either as long as you have suitable place to store and manufacture for the HSE , fire officers, insurance etc
We are just sorting out waterbased acrylics and olyurethanes as well , as some people want waterbased , but they cant give the finish for some uses that you can get from something like our clear colour nitrocellulose laquers
This years stranger bans, neoprene contact glues can be no more than 227ml (something like that) and they can no longer sell multiples in a box retail to get round it.... one tin per customer!, and polyurethane glues or foams may soon need to be suplied with a gas mask.....