The Construction Products Regulation

Construction Products Directive

The Construction Products Directive (CPD) was adopted to establish the Internal Market in the area of construction products. It aims to do this by establishing harmonised technical standards, thus removing technical barriers to trade, between EU countries, in such products. Construction products are defined to as products manufactured to be incorporated into construction work such as buildings or civil engineering works.

This single European system is based on European harmonised technical specifications, which replace national specifications. The latter must be withdrawn once the harmonised European versions are available.

They are six essential requirements set by the CPD: mechanical resistance and stability; safety in case of fire; hygiene, health and the environment; safety in use; protection against noise; and energy economy and heat reduction (energy insulation).

Requirements of the Construction Products Directive are fully enforced for glass used in buildings.

Construction Products Regulation

Following the European Commission proposal to review the CPD and to replace it by a Regulation, the text of the future Construction Product Regulation (CPR) is now known with a high degree of certainty since all three institutions agreed a compromise version in late 2010. It is now waiting formal endorsement by the Council in order to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Although the regulation will enter into force 20 days after its publication, most of its provision will however only apply form 1 July 2013.

Glass for Europe welcomes the adoption of the CPR which will progressively replace the CPD. The CPR simplifies and modernizes the regulatory environment for construction products while guaranteeing the credibility of the CE mark, as well as its predominance over other national certifications.

It is notably welcome that at last the CPR recognizes the possibility of using electronic means and websites for the provision of Declaration of Performance. The conditions for the use of website remains however to be defined by the European Commission in a delegated act.

Glass for Europe remains vigilant that work on the implementing measures is not delayed and hopes that the new CPR will be interepreted in a constructive and reasonable manner at time of implementation.

Please see the Glass for Europe Position Paper on the CPR