In the following some selected pieces of legislation are briefly presented according to their relevance for floor covering manufacturers:

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1. Construction Products Regulation

• 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 reported
• Market 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 important digital 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

2. EU Public Procurement Directive and Green Public Procurement criteria

• GPP criteria drive manufacturers to adapt their production methods by encouraging the use of sustainable raw materials (e.g., recycled or renewable resources), by minimizing negative environmental impacts in manufacturing (e.g. pollution, CO₂ emissions), by producing high-quality products that are durable, reparable, adaptable and toxic free.
• May require investment in cleaner technologies to meet procurement criteria.

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3. REACH

• Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the safety of construction products.
• Flooring manufacturers must ensure that all substances in their products comply with REACH requirements, especially for substances of very high concern (SVHCs).
• REACH requires manufacturers to gather and register detailed information on the chemical substances used in their products, ensuring safe handling and compliance with EU regulations.
• Non-compliance with REACH can restrict access to the EU market.

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4. EU’s Waste shipment regulation

• Manufacturers need to ensure their waste (e.g. from manufacturing or takeback schemes) is shipped in compliance with the regulation, taking into account restrictions on exporting hazardous waste materials and ensuring proper documentation and adherence to waste shipment controls.

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5. EU’s Waste Framework Directive

• design products that can be recycled at the end of their life cycle, adhering to stricter recycling and reuse quota, potentially in future including compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations.
• select toxic free materials for manufacturing
• manufacture safe and sustainable (durable) products with low emissions and complying with product standards
• provide product information on sustainable indicators (and also certification)
• ensure traceability of materials and product along value chain
• implement new circular businesses (End-of-Life, customer relationships, take-back-systems etc.)