Article 2
Definitions For the purposes of this Directive, the following definitions shall apply: 1. "Competent authority" means the authority or authorities or bodies responsible under the legal provisions of the Member States for carrying out the obligations arising from this Directive; 2. "Substances" means any chemical element and its compounds, as they occur in the natural state or as produced by industry, whether in solid or liquid or gaseous form; 3. "Preparation" means mixtures or solutions composed of two or more substances; 4. "Organic compound" means any compound containing at least the element carbon and one or more of hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, phosphorus, silicon, nitrogen, or a halogen, with the exception of carbon oxides and inorganic carbonates and bicarbonates; 5. "Volatile organic compound (VOC)" means any organic compound having an initial boiling point less than or equal to 250°C measured at a standard pressure of 101,3 kPa; 6. "VOC content" means the mass of volatile organic compounds, expressed in grams/litre (g/l), in the formulation of the product in its ready to use condition. The mass of volatile organic compounds in a given product which react chemically during drying to form part of the coating shall not be considered part of the VOC content; 7. "Organic solvent" means any VOC which is used alone or in combination with other agents to dissolve or dilute raw materials, products, or waste materials, or is used as a cleaning agent to dissolve contaminants, or as a dispersion medium, or as a viscosity adjuster, or as a surface tension adjuster, or as a plasticiser, or as a preservative; 8. "Coating" means any preparation, including all the organic solvents or preparations containing organic solvents necessary for its proper application, which is used to provide a film with decorative, protective or other functional effect on a surface; 9. "Film" means a continuous layer resulting from the application of one or more coats to a substrate; 10. "Water-borne coatings (WB)" means coatings the viscosity of which is adjusted by the use of water; 11. "Solvent-borne coatings (SB)" means coatings the viscosity of which is adjusted by the use of organic solvent; 12. "Placing on the market" means making available to third parties, whether in exchange for payment or not. Importation into the Community customs territory shall be deemed to be placing on the market for the purposes of this Directive.