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Construction Products Regulation (approved 2024)
The new CPR was approved in April 2024 and will replace the current CPR (305/2011/EU) with a long transition time. The main aim of the Construction Products Regulation is to remove barriers to trade construction products between member states in the European Economic Area. It makes CE-marking mandatory for most construction products sold in EU countries. The CE marking indicates a product’s compliance with EU legislation and so enables the free movement of products within the European market.
Important elements in the new CPR for which also EU CISUFLO responds with solutions:
- in future, requirements for greener and safer construction products (reporting obligations for manufacturers)
- digital information on product characteristics
- obligation for manufacturer on environmental reporting (information on climate effects changed to mandatory)
- product traceability important (use of digital product passport)
| Floor covering manufacturer: Relevance: Sustainability requirements: Encourages use of recyclable or sustainable materials. Characteristics related to the whole lifecycle of the floorings to be taken into account (e.g. actions to be taken for potential emissions due conditions in installing of flooring materials)Obligation for manufacturer on environmental reporting (information on climate effects mandatory)Harmonised Products standards for floor coverings define the sustainability information to be reportedMarket Access: Must comply with updated performance and environmental declarations.Product compliance: Must ensure products meet performance and safety requirements under CPR.CE marking: Required to affix the CE marking, demonstrating conformity with declared performance (e.g. in several cases, need for testing of indoor air emissions).Documentation: Responsible for preparing and providing a Declaration of Performance and Declaration of Conformity (DoPC). product traceability importantdigital information on product characteristics (availability of Digital Product Passport)in future, requirements for greener and safer construction products (reporting obligations for manufacturer) Links to other initiatives: CPR refers to REACH requirements (e.g. restrictions of substances of very high concern (SVHC)Energy Performance of Buildings Directive: promoting construction products with low embodied carbon |
| Recycler: Relevance: Material Demand: Increased opportunities for recycled content in construction products. Regulatory Alignment: Need to meet harmonized standards for recycled materials. Links to other initiatives: Waste Framework Directive sets requirements on waste management (e.g. permit needs, hazardous waste classification, sorting & collection obligation on certain streams, recycling of historical flooring products challenging if not reliable product information, the list of banned or restricted substances will never be finalized as new information on toxicity of substances will set need for new additions in the list -> this sets needs for constant follow-up, e.g. in selection of raw material) Waste Shipment regulation to be followed in case of cross border shipment of flooring waste (permit needed for cross country shipment of hazardous waste – potentially a barrier for recycling) |
| Producer responsibility organizations: Relevance: Currently not mandatory, but the potential environmental and economic benefits and impacts of extended producer responsibility of manufacturers of certain construction products and of the regain of ownership of surplus and unsold products at EU level will be evaluated by the Commission.Volunteer EPR schemes are aiming to meet circularity and climate targets on the flooring sector (Note! EPR mandatory in France for construction products)Introduction of an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for floor covering means the following:Producer responsibility organizations (scheme established by the flooring manufacturers) collect fees to organize collection and sorting of floor covering wastes Supports design for recycling and circularity goals Provides traceability of floor coverings Facilitates end-of-life management for flooring products Promotes take-back systems Links to other initiatives: Ecodesign for sustainable product regulationWaste Framework Directive Further information (links, reports…): https://www.rfn.fr/en/news/new-regulation-1-may-2023-extended-producer-responsibility-epr-construction-products-andECRA position paper 2024: Extended producer responsibility. https://ecra.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/03/2024-01-30-EPR-Position-Paper-Final-Version.pdf |
| Innovators: Relevance: Market Incentives: Favorable environment for sustainable product development. Ecodesign: Opportunity to align with stricter environmental criteria (substitution of hazardous substances/materials, development of technologies for separability of recyclable materials, identification techniques for recyclable materials, possibilities for repair, development of products with recycled content…). Links to other initiatives: Waste Framework Directive: rules for waste managementEcodesign for sustainable product regulation |
| Consumers: Relevance: Confidence in product quality and safety.Access to clear, comparable information about product performance.Protection from unsafe products not fulfilling essential requirements set for construction products or EU Product standards.Information on safe use and critical conditions in product installation Information on reusability, recyclability and end-of-life management |
| Procurers: Relevance: CPR provides minimum criteria to be filled in public procurement (currently recommendations given by JRC for floorings in office building)Public authorities: Green Procurement criteria developed for sustainable purchasing.design of products for later recycling, repaircriteria for recycled contentlow indoor air emissions from flooring coversmarking of flooring products that need special attention in waste management (e.g. content of hazardous substances such as flame retardants)Skills, training, preparation of educational materials Further information (links, reports…): JRC report: EC 2016, EU GPP Criteria for Office Building Design, Construction and Management: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/pdf/swd_2016_180.pdf |
