The invention concerns coating agents based on a sterically stabilized, non-aqueous dispersion which can be prepared by reacting, in an organic solvent in the presence of a dispersion stabilizer, at least one epoxy resin (A) having on average at least 2 epoxy groups per molecule, with at least one diol (B) of the formula HOROH (I), in which R is a group of the formula -Ph-D-Ph- (II), wherein -Ph- is a phenylene group and D is a methylene or propylene group, and optionally with a further component (C), which comprises groups which are reactive to epoxy or hydroxyl groups. The invention is characterized in that: i) the non-aqueous dispersion is prepared in that: 1) in a first step the epoxy resin component (A) is reacted with at least one diol (B) and optionally the component (C) to form a reaction product which contains as end groups phenolic hydroxyl groups and has a phenoxy equivalent weight of at least 246; and 2) subsequently, in step (2), 50 to 100 % of the phenolic hydroxyl groups present in the reaction product obtained in step (1) are reacted with another epoxy resin component (A) and/or component (C); and ii) the coating agent contains at least one phenolic resin.