Friday 29th of May 2015

Construction Products Regulation (CPR) update

The Approved Cables Initiative (ACI) has issued the following update regarding work to bring cables* within Construction Products Regulation (EU 305/2011)

• Product standard EN 50575 has been published and sets out the requirements for testing and certification for cables under the CPR.Although some such work may be undertaken, results of testing cannot yet be used in a Declaration of Performance (DoP) or for CE marking until after the Date of Applicability (see below)
• The European Commission, via its Standing Committee for Construction, must approve the listing of EN 50575 in the OJEC (Official Journal of the European Union) and allocate a Date of Applicability (DoA), which is expected to happen in the next few months
• Certification bodies and laboratories may apply to be accredited and appointed as “Notified” (as Notified Product Certification Bodies and/or as Notified Testing Laboratories) for cables under CPR, but they will not become appointed until after the DoA, and therefore cannot issue official certificates or test reports until then
• After the DoA is given, manufacturers are permitted to make a DoP for their product and apply CE marking under the CPR

There will be a period of co-existence after DoA, (which will be confirmed via the listing in OJEC) before CE marking becomes mandatory (at least 12 months).

Purchasers and users of cable should be vigilant for the possibility of incorrect claims being made about the status of cables under the CPR until the DoA.

*this refers to cables of all types used in construction works with requirements for Reaction to Fire - meaning flame/spread/propagation, evolution of smoke and acidic/corrosive gases, and restriction on flaming droplets.

NOTE: Cables with requirements for Resistance to Fire (circuit integrity) are not yet covered. A separate product standard is under development. It is not expected for a few years.

Download printable PDF.