In the dynamic landscape of Spanish industrial tank cleaning, the country’s association of tank cleaning stations (ANLIC) has reiterated its unwavering commitment to excellence, environmental responsibility and industry advancement.
ANLIC , or the Asociación Nacional de Lavaderos de Interiores de Cisternas, is the Spanish association of certified tank cleaning stations.
It was established in 1997 to address the sector's needs, with the main goal of advising, assisting and encouraging its members to provide high-quality standards.
ANLIC is an active member of the European Federation of Tank Cleaning Organizations (EFTCO). This membership facilitates a strong synergy between the national organisation and the European one.
Currently, the association has a total of 65 members, distributed throughout the Spanish territory. The organisation is located in Tarragona, Catalonia.
The latest developments within ANLIC include:
1. Updating the Real Decreto 948/2003 (Spanish royal ordinance)
For years, the association has been working closely with the Spanish government to regulate the tank cleaning industry.
Since 2018, ANLIC board members and its external advisors have been working together to try to harmonise the various imbalances that currently exist within the Spanish Royal Decree 948/2003.
The association has been working hand in hand with the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism to carry out a substantial modification of this decree and to prepare a guide for good hygiene practices in food tank cleaning stations.
As one might envisage, this process is lengthy due to the involvement of numerous stakeholders.
2. New SQAS questionnaire
At the beginning of this year, a significant update regarding the SQAS questionnaire was launched.
An additional set of questions have been added to enable a more comprehensive evaluation of operations and processes (regarding core and tank cleaning parts).
ANLIC acknowledges that this increase in the number of questions may require additional effort in gathering information and preparing for SQAS assessments. However, the association expects that this extra investment will help the tank cleaning stations identify areas for improvement and strengthen their commitment to excellence.
Currently, the association is providing assistance to its members regarding this new questionnaire and it is also offering assistance with regards the new SQAS webpage.
3. New technical secretariat
Last June, the secretary of ANLIC, Alicia González, left the organisation having been in charge of the association’s secretariat since its inception. With her departure, a new member has taken over - Laura Martín.
4. New LinkedIn page
The creation of the association’s LinkedIn page was driven by its commitment to fostering stronger connections and engagement within the industry network. ANLIC recognised the need to provide a dedicated platform where members, partners and stakeholders can easily access updates, share insights and stay informed about the latest developments in the sector.
Mission and vision
The association celebrated its 26th anniversary this year and for over a quarter of a century, ANLIC has worked steadily to provide the required services to ensure compliance with European standards for tank cleaning stations.
The board, along with external advisors offer guidance, training and support in all relevant areas to every member.
These tasks encompass, among others - management of cleaning documents, resolving queries, promoting the image of the association and its members, sharing new information from EFTCO, attending biannual European meetings, organising annual Spanish meetings, handling applications and new member entries as well as collecting new SQAS evaluations from members.
To join ANLIC, high standards of quality, safety, environmental, security and corporate social responsibility are required.
To assess these issues, the cleaning stations are evaluated by SQAS. ANLIC requires achieving an overall score of 65% and also passing a series of mandatory questions that have been set by the association.
Since July, ANLIC has received two new applications to join the organisation.
European Cleaning Document (ECD and eECD)
ANLIC, as a member of EFTCO, offers all its associates the opportunity to issue the corresponding ECD (EFTCO Cleaning Document) after successfully passing the mandatory audits based on SQAS certification criteria and its questionnaires.
Currently, all members use the pre-printed paper ECD. However, the drive towards greater digitalisation has seen greater take-up of the electronic cleaning document (eECD) across Europe.
With this objective in mind, EFTCO and ECLIC have collaborated to provide the best solution to all their members. Currently, work is underway to implement a fully digital electronic cleaning document through an online platform. Nevertheless, intermediate solutions have been provided to ensure a gradual and suitable transition for tank cleaning stations and other stakeholders in the logistics chain.
This allows the associates to adjust its digitalisation goals within their own time frame. So, three options are on the table at the moment - pre-printed paper, paperless and paper-digital.
ANLIC will be attending an EFTCO meeting in Bordeaux, France, shortly to get to know more about the electronic cleaning document updates and to convey that information to its members.
A company spokesman said: “ANLIC’s ability to consistently deliver results in a volatile and uncertain environment is a testament to the dedication and hard work of all its members.
“While stability might be perceived as a lack of progress at first glance, it is, in fact, an achievement in its own right.
“It means that the association is maintaining its standards and consistently meeting its goals.
“Nonetheless, ANLIC is always open to continuously seeking opportunities to growth and improve.
“The members are constantly exploring ways to enhance their processes and strategies. The organisation has a strong commitment to support them throughout this process.”
For more information: Visit anlic.com and for its LinkedIn details go to linkedin.com/in/company/a-n-l-i-c
New boost for Spanish tank cleaning association
