European Business Award for the Environment

DTS Oabe wins the European Business Award for the Environment

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Brussels, June 1, 2006.- The Basque company DTS OABE has won the European Environmental Awards, in the Product category, for its project “Nupilac Hydro”an insecticidal lacquer that reduces the environmental drawbacks of conventional lacquers. The award, presented this afternoon in Brussels, is the most prestigious recognition in the field of sustainable business development.

The European Business Awards for the Environment, now in their 10th year, are organized by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment and aim to publicly recognize those organizations whose actions have contributed to the fulfillment of the principles of sustainable development. The Awards are given in four categories: Management, Product, Process and International Cooperation.

Created in 1987 on the occasion of the World Environment Year, they are organized every two years by the national sections of the European Union Member States. Fundación Entorno has organized the Spanish Section since 1997.

More than 130 projects, 12 finalists

In Spain, the Entorno Foundation, organizer of the Spanish Section of the European Environmental Awards, selected and awarded eleven projects in January from among the 75 submitted by Spanish companies in the national phase. The winners in the Spanish Section were: Cementos Lemona, Acciona Energía, Lemona Industrial (prizes); together with Acería Compacta de Bizkaia, Basf Española, DTS OABE, Rotártica, Cerámica Piera, Hera Holding, Somorrostro, Repsol YPF (runners-up).

These eleven projects were submitted to the European Jury, composed of different personalities from the world of business, universities and institutions from different European countries, including the Director General of Environmental Quality and Assessment of the Ministry of the Environment, Jaime Alejandri.

The Spanish companies’ applications competed with more than 130 projects from 23 different countries throughout the European Union. Finally, in February, the Jury selected 12 finalists, including DTS OABE’s project.

Nupilac Hydro by DTS OABE

The company DTS OABE S.L.based in Orozko (Vizcaya), has been selected as a finalist in the Product category for its project “The Product”.Nupilac Hydro“The new product is an insecticide lacquer designed to reduce or eliminate the environmental disadvantages of conventional lacquers, with zero dermal and inhalation toxicity, non-flammable and with no gas emissions into the atmosphere.

The Jury recognized the project for “the innovative aspect of this insecticide product applied as a lacquer, which avoids atmospheric pollution and does not harm human health”. The Jury emphasized that the product “requires five times less insecticide, has no VOC emissions and has long-term efficiency”. It has also considered that “there is no re-entry period, so the product can be applied in schools, hospitals or food establishments, without the need to close the premises once the product has been applied”.

With this category, the European Awards honor the development of a new product or related service that makes an outstanding contribution to sustainable development by promoting more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

Spanish background in the final

In the 2001-2002 edition, a Spanish company was chosen among the best: the Murcian company Coato won the European Award in the Environmental Management category, the first time that the top prize was awarded to a company from our country. In addition, Hispacold, also Spanish, was a finalist in the final on that occasion, nominated in the Product-Ecodesign category.

More information about the awarded projects can be found at:

European Business Awards for the Environment – Press release winners 2006

Press release of nominees (English)

Ebae Magazine