30 January 2018

Intergraf - Packaging Ink Joint Industry Task Force

The BPIF have been working with Intergraf for many years – we are of the founding members of the organisation preceding Intergraf: the International Bureau of the Federations of Master Printers founded in 1930.

Dale Wallis, BPIF’s Membership Director has been a member of the Intergraf Steering Committee since 2013 and became Chairman in 2017. The Steering Committee play a crucial role in Intergraf's work, by putting into practice strategic decisions made by the Board such as implementing new legislation and supporting members. Dale commented, "During my time as Chairman I would like to see a blueprint for future skills for the industry, and a project to provide a toolbox of ideas, collateral and support mechanisms to encourage young people into our industry. I am sure that with the wealth of experience and enthusiasm in the Steering Committee we can develop something great between us, which will support our members in the foreseeable future."

Packaging Ink Joint Industry Task Force (PIJITF)

The taskforce (composed of representatives from the printing ink, food, substrates, converting and printing industries) is preparing a position paper on the future Printed Food Contact Material Regulation. The Commission’s proposal is expected at the end of 2018. The group is working on definitions, the scope of the Regulation, the demonstration of compliance and enforcement measures. At the meeting, the group agreed that industry should insist to limit the measures and their enforcement to the printing ink layer. There are indeed concerns that the Commission may want to extend compliance demonstration to the final product without providing rules on substrates. At the meeting, it was said that Germany may intend to apply for mineral oil the same procedure as for printing inks, i.e. notifying the draft German ordinance on mineral oil to the Commission to trigger comments from other Member States and make the Commission work on the topic at European level.

For more information on Intergraf, click here.