CE declaration of performance

From 1 July 2013, the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) completely replaced the Construction Products Directive (CPD) that had been in force since 1989. As a European regulation, the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) became immediately applicable in all Member States, with no transposition into national law required. The CPR regulates the conditions for bringing harmonised construction products onto the market and making them available, and sets out requirements for the declaration of performance and CE certification.

Construction products that have been placed on the market since 1 July 2013 must comply with the CPR. The term “placing on the market” refers to the first time a construction product is placed on the European market by the manufacturer, its authorised representative, or the importer.

What especially distinguishes the CPR from the former CPD is the declaration of performance, the CE marking, and the assessment and verification of constant performance.

The CE marking is to be affixed on the basis of a declaration of performance that describes the performance of the construction product regarding its key characteristics. The properties of a construction product that are essential are determined by the harmonised technical specifications and refer back to the legal requirements defined by the Member States in the context of meeting basic requirements for buildings. As an example, the compressive strength of radiators may be an essential property whose purpose is to meet basic requirements and thus protect an item of property and its users. Construction product properties that are not based on a legal requirement (such as colour) are also not an integral part of the declaration of performance and the CE marking.

The CPR changes the meaning of the CE marking. In the future, manufacturers will be able to use it to document their responsibility for the construction product’s conformity with the performance specified in the declaration of performance and compliance with all relevant European legislation. All construction products for which the manufacturer has drawn up a declaration of performance must bear a CE marking. Where possible, the CE marking must be attached to the construction product itself, a product label, or the packaging.