Last edited 19 Dec 2018

Construction Products Regulation CPR

The Construction Products Regulation 2011 (CPR) is a European Union (EU) regulation harmonising performance information on construction products across the EU. It is made most visible by the mandatory CE marking of regulated products.

CE stands for Communauté Européenne or is sometimes taken to stand for Conformité Européenne. CE marking signifies that a product complies with relevant safety, health or environmental regulations across the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the member states of the EU and the European Free Trade Association countries; Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Some parts of the Construction Products Regulation applied from 24 April 2011, but it came into force in full on 1 July 2013. From this time, construction products placed on the market in the EEA that are covered by a harmonised European product standard or a European Technical Assessment will need to be CE marked and accompanied by a Declaration of Performance (DoP).

This is intended to ensure that reliable technical information is provided about the performance of construction products in a common technical language and tested using consistent assessment methods. This consistency should enable designers and specifiers to compare the performance of products more easily.

The CE mark denotes the publication of information on:

Safety.
Testing criteria
Fire resistance.
Mechanical resistance and stability.
User instructions, including hygiene and environmental instructions.
Protection against noise.
Energy, economy and heat retention.
Sustainable use of natural resources.
Handling instructions.
Storage recommendations.
Maintenance.
Warranties.
Dealerships.

Demonstrating compliance with the regulation requires an 'attestation of conformity' (AoC). There are 5 levels of attestation of conformity depending on the nature of the product. See Attestation of conformity for more information.

The CPR does not harmonise the building regulations or recommend the suitability of products appropriate for a project, responsibility for which remains with designers and specifiers.

NB: From 1 July 2014, the Construction Products Regulations make CE marking mandatory for fabricated steelwork and aluminium structures.

[edit] No-deal Brexit contingency

On 18 December 2018, the government laid a statutory instrument to ensure a functioning CPR regime when the UK leaves the European Union. This statutory instrument delivers the policy approach set out in a technical notice published on 13 September 2018.

The arrangements will apply in the event that the UK exits the European Union without a deal in March 2019.

Ref https://www.gov.uk/government/news/continuity-of-requirements-under-the-construction-products-regulation-when-the-uk-leaves-the-european-union