The EU Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is an essential piece of legislation within the European Union. It governs how construction products are marketed and ensures that they are safe and sustainable. The CPR is designed to facilitate the free movement of construction products across the EU, remove barriers, and enhance competition.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at the key elements of the CPR, the recent updates, and how they impact the construction industry.
Unifying the market with safe, sustainable products
The main purpose of the CPR is to create a smooth and efficient market for construction products throughout the EU. As such, one objective of the regulation is to outline how these products should be assessed and verified for compliance. By harmonising the rules, the CPR helps eliminate the need for separate national regulations, which can sometimes conflict with one another. This reduces barriers to trade and promotes a level playing field for businesses operating in different countries.
Additionally, the CPR places importance on product safety and environmental protection. It sets clear requirements regarding the environmental, functional, and safety aspects of construction products. Manufacturers must conduct lifecycle assessments of their products, detailing their environmental impact from production to disposal. The regulation also attempts to minimise any negative effects that construction products may have on human health and the environment.
Promoting environmental sustainability in construction
One thing is clear: construction projects significantly impact the environment. As such, making sustainable practices a key focus of the CPR. To do so, it establishes mandatory minimum environmental requirements and sets sustainability standards for specific product categories. In addition, local governments, when awarding procurement contracts, are required to consider these sustainability standards.
The CPR mandates that manufacturers conduct assessments to evaluate a product’s environmental impact throughout its entire lifecycle — from raw material sourcing to final disposal. This comprehensive approach helps ensure that sustainability is prioritised in construction product development.
The foundation of a unified market: Harmonised technical specifications
Harmonised technical specifications (hTS) are crucial for ensuring consistency and quality in construction products sold across the EU. The CPR provides an understanding of what constitutes an hTS and how it functions within the regulatory framework, including by:
-
Establishing a common language: hTS act as a common technical language for construction products across all EU Member States. This eliminates confusion and uncertainty caused by differing national regulations. By defining essential product characteristics in a consistent manner, hTS ensure that manufacturers, importers, distributors, and end-users share a common understanding of what constitutes a safe, functional, and sustainable construction product.
-
Ensuring a level playing field: hTS establish a level playing field for businesses operating in the EU construction market. By setting uniform technical requirements, they prevent Member States from imposing their own conflicting standards that could create barriers to trade and give unfair advantages to domestic producers. This promotes fair competition and encourages innovation, as companies can focus on developing products that meet consistent EU-wide standards.
-
Facilitating free movement of goods: By ensuring that construction products meet harmonised technical specifications, the CPR removes technical barriers to trade and facilitates the free movement of goods within the internal market. This means products that comply with the hTS can be sold anywhere in the EU without needing to undergo separate national assessments or meet additional requirements.
-
Simplifying compliance: hTS streamline the compliance process for manufacturers. Instead of navigating a complex web of national regulations, manufacturers can focus on meeting a single set of harmonised technical requirements. This simplifies product development and reduces administrative burdens, allowing companies to allocate resources more efficiently.
-
Enhancing consumer confidence: hTS contribute to consumer confidence by ensuring a consistent level of quality and safety for construction products across the EU. When consumers see the CE marking, they can be confident that the product has been assessed against a recognised set of technical specifications, providing a level of assurance regardless of where in the EU the product was manufactured or purchased.
European assessment documents: Providing flexibility in product assessment
The regulation also highlights how European Assessment Documents (EADs) introduce flexibility into the product assessment process within the EU Construction Products Regulation framework.
European Assessment Documents (EADs) are tools for demonstrating compliance in situations where harmonised technical specifications do not exist. These documents offer a framework for assessing the performance of innovative or specialised construction products. EADs are beneficial when a product falls outside the scope of existing hTS concerning intended use or when it requires a different assessment method. By allowing manufacturers to demonstrate the suitability of their products, EADs can promote innovation and expand market access.
Listen to a podcast about the EU Construction Products Regulation
Assessment and verification: Ensuring quality and reliability
To guarantee that construction products meet the required standards, the CPR also outlines various assessment and verification systems (AVS). These systems assess and verify the performance and conformity of construction products through a combination of factory production controls, testing, and inspection. The level of scrutiny applied depends on the product type and associated risks, with higher-risk products facing stricter controls.
Notified bodies, which are independent organisations accredited to carry out these assessments, play a crucial role in ensuring that evaluations are reliable. Their involvement helps build trust in the safety and performance of construction products.
Manufacturers’ obligations: Responsibilities under the CPR
Manufacturers are primarily responsible for ensuring compliance with the CPR. They must determine the product type, conduct or arrange for appropriate assessments, and prepare a Declaration of Performance and Conformity (DoP), which details the product's performance around its essential characteristics. They are also required to affix the CE marking, indicating compliance with relevant regulations, and to provide users with safety information and instructions.
Manufacturers must maintain technical documentation detailing the product’s design, manufacturing process, and performance assessments. They should also monitor product performance and manage any non-conformities to uphold quality standards.
Addressing online and distance sales
The CPR clarifies that products offered online or through distance sales are subject to the same regulations as those sold in physical stores. If a product is offered online and targets customers within the EU, it is considered to be made available in the EU market. This ensures fair competition and protects consumers across all sales channels.
The regulation extends specific obligations to online platforms and fulfilment service providers, requiring them to verify basic information about manufacturers, cooperate with market surveillance authorities, and ensure that their practices do not jeopardise product conformity.
Digital Product Passports for construction: Enhancing transparency
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a key feature of the updated CPR, designed to enhance transparency in the construction industry. The DPP serves as a digital repository containing information about a construction product's lifecycle. Consumers can access the DPP by scanning a QR code (or other data carrier) on the product, empowering buyers to make informed purchasing decisions based on sustainability and responsible sourcing.
The DPP includes essential details such as the Declaration of Performance and Conformity, safety information, environmental impact data, and guidelines for recycling and end-of-life management. This accessibility benefits not only consumers but also other stakeholders throughout the value chain, facilitating better decision-making.
Promoting sustainable building
The Construction Products Regulation is a piece of legislation shaping the construction industry across the European Union. With its focus on harmonisation, safety, and sustainability, the CPR facilitates a fair and efficient market for construction products.
The introduction of Digital Product Passports for construction products increases transparency and promotes a circular economy in the construction sector. DPPs empower consumers and help drive the transition to a more sustainably-built environment.
Learn more
For more information, watch a demo of PicoNext or request a consultation.
