Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Most construction projects and building works in the UK and Europe require approval to
the relevant building control legislation, at both the planning and final completion stages
of the build, and the building materials used can have a significant impact on the approval
process. Therefore to aid the construction industry, the construction products legislation
aims for materials and products to be placed on the market with the right performance
characteristics, which will enable builders to select the most appropriate products for
their building works.
There has been a European Directive (89/106/EEC) covering Construction Products since
1991, which was only voluntary in the UK. However since 1st July 2013, the old
Directive was replaced by the new Construction Products Regulation (305/2011/EU)
making it mandatory for construction products in the UK (and the rest of Europe) to be
CE marked.
The new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) applies to products or kits which are
placed on the market for incorporation in a permanent manner in construction works and
the performance of which has an effect on the basic requirements of the works. Some
examples of construction products include: windows and doors, fire detection/alarm
systems, cladding, steel structures, sanitary products and many more.
Conformity Requirements
The new Regulation (much like the out-going Directive) is completely different to other
CE Marking Legislation and requires the product to be assessed against a harmonised
standard or have a European Technical Assessment (ETA) issued before the declaration
can be issued and the CE marking affixed. If there are no applicable harmonised
standards and the manufacturer has not requested an ETA, then the product cannot be CE
marked under the CPR.