The IVK represents the German adhesives industry with its 112 members of adhesives manufacturers, producers of self-adhesive tapes and raw material producers. The range of main issues spreads from the application fields (wood, construction, paper and packaging, shoes, electronics, medicine etc.) to legislation aspects (Transport of Dangerous Goods, Packaging Directive, Chemicals Policy etc.).

Thus the Association represents the adhesives industry on various advisory boards of important trade fairs, in the consultative body of the chemical industry for the Enquête Commission of the German Parliament, in steering committees of various scientific institutions and the working groups of different German ministries.

Furthermore, IVK monitors the co-ordination, preparation and treatment of the great variety of work resulting from the meetings of the various working groups.

Major adhesive manufacturers developed the product classification system EMICODE^® , a simple and reliable guideline classifying the emission behaviour of such products with view to consumer and environment protection.

Flooring installation materials labelled with the GEV sign EMICODE EC1^® "very low emission" offer the greatest possible safety concerning indoor air pollution. The EMICODE^® system is based on precisely defined chamber testing procedures and strict classification criteria which have been devised by the Technical Council of the GEV and with professional support of the environmental institute Miljö-Chemie, the Carpet Research Institute (TFI) and the Association for Environmentally-Friendly Carpets (GuT).

The uniform application of EMICODE^® by GEV members gives security to all associated businesses in the selection of flooring installation materials and establishes consumer confidence in the products. EMICODE^® and GEV are signs of competence and responsibility for an integrated consumer and environment protection.

P roducts labelled with the EMICODE EC 1^® stand for modern, solvent free and very low emission flooring installation materials. In respect of Indoor Air Quality, they provide the most ecological method for contemporary flooring installation.