RAC Accident Services has signed paint companies ICI and Azko Nobel as network development partners to help ensure RAC bodyshops meet the new Environmental Protection Act. The EPA has set new regulations for bodyshops using more than two tonnes of solvent annually, which come into effect on April 1, 1998.

Those bodyshops assessed as fully compliant by ICI and Azko Nobel will provide customers with paint warranties for the vehicle's full fleet life. Stuart Birch, RAC Accident Services Network manager, said: 'Bodyshops have to work flat out to stay profitable. This partnership is not just about securing the best possible terms for RAC bodyshops, vital though that is in such a competitive field as accident management. It's also about ensuring that our bodyshops have access to expert advice and a full range of products which comply with environmental safeguards.'