LeX-Ray
Laying Down Harmonised Conditions for the Marketing of Construction Products Regulation
Article 1: Subject matter
Article 2: Definitions
Article 3: Basic requirements for construction works and essential characteristics of construction products
Where appropriate, the Commission shall also determine, by means of delegated acts in accordance with Article 60, the threshold levels for the performance in relation to the essential characteristics to be declared.
Article 4: Declaration of performance
Article 5: Derogations from drawing up a declaration of performance
Article 6: Content of the declaration of performance
Article 7: Supply of the declaration of performance
However, where a batch of the same product is supplied to a single user, it may be accompanied by a single copy of the declaration of performance either in paper form or by electronic means.
Article 8: General principles and use of CE marking
If a declaration of performance has not been drawn up by the manufacturer in accordance with Articles 4 and 6 ='articles' class='internal-link article' href='#art_4' data-bs-toggle='popover' data-bs-trigger='hover focus' data-bs-content='Declaration of performance' data-bs-placement='top' >4 and 6, the CE marking shall not be affixed.
By affixing or having affixed the CE marking, manufacturers indicate that they take responsibility for the conformity of the construction product with the declared performance as well as the compliance with all applicable requirements laid down in this Regulation and in other relevant Union harmonisation legislation providing for its affixing.
The rules for affixing the CE marking provided for in other relevant Union harmonisation legislation shall apply without prejudice to this paragraph.
In this respect, Member States shall not introduce any references or shall withdraw any references in national measures to a marking attesting conformity with the declared performance in relation to the essential characteristics covered by a harmonised standard other than the CE marking.
Article 9: Rules and conditions for the affixing of CE marking
Article 10: Product Contact Points for Construction
Article 11: Obligations of manufacturers
Manufacturers shall, as the basis for the declaration of performance, draw up technical documentation describing all the relevant elements related to the required system of assessment and verification of constancy of performance.
Where appropriate, the Commission may, by means of delegated acts in accordance with Article 60, amend that period for families of construction products on the basis of the expected life or part played by the construction product in the construction works.
Manufacturers shall, where deemed appropriate with regard to ensuring the accuracy, reliability and stability of the declared performance of a construction product, carry out sample testing of construction products placed or made available on the market, investigate, and, if necessary, keep a register of complaints, of non-conforming products and of product recalls, and keep distributors informed of any such monitoring.
Article 12: Authorised representatives
The drawing up of technical documentation shall not form part of the authorised representative’s mandate.
Article 13: Obligations of importers
Where an importer considers or has reason to believe that the construction product is not in conformity with the declaration of performance or not in compliance with other applicable requirements in this Regulation, the importer shall not place the construction product on the market until it conforms to the accompanying declaration of performance and it complies with the other applicable requirements in this Regulation or until the declaration of performance is corrected. Furthermore, where the construction product presents a risk, the importer shall inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authorities thereof.
Article 14: Obligations of distributors
Where a distributor considers or has reason to believe that a construction product is not in conformity with the declaration of performance or not in compliance with other applicable requirements in this Regulation, the distributor shall not make the product available on the market until it conforms to the accompanying declaration of performance and it complies with the other applicable requirements in this Regulation or until the declaration of performance is corrected. Furthermore, where the product presents a risk, the distributor shall inform the manufacturer or the importer thereof, and the market surveillance authorities.
Article 15: Cases in which obligations of manufacturers apply to importers and distributors
Article 16: Identification of economic operators
Article 17: Harmonised standards
When provided for in the relevant mandate, a harmonised standard shall refer to an intended use of products to be covered by it.
Harmonised standards shall, where appropriate and without endangering the accuracy, reliability or stability of the results, provide methods less onerous than testing for assessing the performance of the construction products in relation to their essential characteristics.
The harmonised standard shall include technical details necessary for the implementation of the system of assessment and verification of constancy of performance.
The Commission shall publish in the Official Journal of the European Union the list of references of harmonised standards which are in conformity with the relevant mandates. Official Journal of the European Union
The following shall be indicated for each harmonised standard in the list:
From the date of the beginning of the coexistence period it shall be possible to use a harmonised standard to make a declaration of performance for a construction product covered by it. National standardisation bodies are under the obligation to transpose the harmonised standards in conformity with Directive 1998/34.
Without prejudice to Articles 36 to 38, from the date of the end of the coexistence period, the harmonised standard shall be the only means used for drawing up a declaration of performance for a construction product covered by it.
At the end of the coexistence period, conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn and Member States shall terminate the validity of all conflicting national provisions.
Article 18: Formal objection against harmonised standards
Article 19: European Assessment Document
Article 20: Principles for the development and adoption of European Assessment Documents
Article 21: Obligations of the TAB receiving a request for a European Technical Assessment
Article 22: Publication
The Commission shall publish any updates to that list.
Article 23: Dispute resolution in cases of disagreement between TABs
Article 24: Content of the European Assessment Document
Article 25: Formal objections against European Assessment Documents
Article 26: European Technical Assessment
Provided that there is a European Assessment Document, a European Technical Assessment may be issued even in the case where a mandate for a harmonised standard has been issued. Such issuing shall be possible until the beginning of the coexistence period as determined by the Commission in accordance with Article 17(5).
Article 27: Levels or classes of performance
Where classes of performance in relation to the essential characteristics of construction products are not established by the Commission, they may be established by the European standardisation bodies in harmonised standards, on the basis of a revised mandate.
When deemed appropriate, the organisation of TABs may, with the agreement of the Commission and after consulting the Standing Committee on Construction, establish in the European Assessment Document classes of performance and threshold levels in relation to the essential characteristics of a construction product within its intended use as foreseen by the manufacturer.
Where such conditions are not established by the Commission, they may be established by the European standardisation bodies in harmonised standards, on the basis of a revised mandate.
Article 28: Assessment and verification of constancy of performance
The Commission shall choose the least onerous system or systems consistent with the fulfilment of all basic requirements for construction works.
Article 29: Designation, monitoring and evaluation of TABs
Member States which have designated a TAB shall communicate to the other Member States and the Commission its name and address and the product areas for which that TAB is designated.
The Commission shall make any updates to that list publicly available.
Member States shall inform the Commission of their national procedures for the designation of TABs, of the monitoring of their activity and competence, and of any changes to that information.
Article 30: Requirements for TABs
The TAB shall satisfy the requirements set out in Table 2 of Annex IV within the scope of its designation.
Article 31: Coordination of TABs
Article 32: Union financing
Article 33: Financing arrangements
Article 34: Management and monitoring
Article 35: Protection of the Union’s financial interests
Article 36: Use of Appropriate Technical Documentation
Article 37: Use of simplified procedures by micro-enterprises
Article 38: Other simplified procedures
Article 39: Notification
Article 40: Notifying authorities
Article 41: Requirements relating to notifying authorities
Article 42: Information obligation for Member States
The Commission shall make that information publicly available.
Article 43: Requirements for notified bodies
A body belonging to a business association or professional federation representing undertakings involved in the design, manufacturing, provision, assembly, use or maintenance of construction products which it assesses, can on condition that its independence and the absence of any conflict of interest are demonstrated, be considered to be such a body.
A notified body, its top-level management and the personnel responsible for carrying out the third party tasks in the process of assessment and verification of constancy of performance shall not become directly involved in the design, manufacture or construction, marketing, installation, use or maintenance of those construction products, nor represent the parties engaged in those activities. They shall not engage in any activity that may conflict with their independence of judgement and integrity related to the activities for which they have been notified. This shall, in particular, apply to consultancy services.
A notified body shall ensure that activities of its subsidiaries or subcontractors do not affect the confidentiality, objectivity and impartiality of its assessment and/or verification activities.
At all times and for each system of assessment and verification of constancy of performance and for each kind or category of construction products, essential characteristics and tasks in relation to which it has been notified, the notified body shall have the following at its disposal:
The remuneration of the notified body’s top-level management and assessment personnel shall not depend on the number of assessments carried out or on the results of such assessments.
Article 44: Presumption of conformity
Article 45: Subsidiaries and subcontractors of notified bodies
Article 46: Use of facilities outside the testing laboratory of the notified body
Notified bodies carrying out such tests shall be specifically designated as competent to work away from their own accredited test facilities.
Article 47: Application for notification
Article 48: Notification procedure
Exceptionally, for cases set out in point 3 of Annex V, for which the appropriate electronic tool is not available, a hard copy of the notification shall be accepted.
However, reference to the relevant harmonised technical specification is not required in the cases set out in point 3 of Annex V.
Only such a body shall be considered as a notified body for the purpose of this Regulation.
Article 49: Identification numbers and lists of notified bodies
It shall assign a single such number even where the body is notified under several Union acts.
The Commission shall ensure that this list is kept up-to-date.
Article 50: Changes to the notification
Article 51: Challenge of the competence of notified bodies
Article 52: Operational obligations for notified bodies
In so doing, the notified bodies shall nevertheless respect the degree of rigour required for the product by this Regulation and the part played by the product for the fulfilment of all basic requirements for construction works.
Article 53: Information obligations for notified bodies
Article 54: Exchange of experience
Article 55: Coordination of notified bodies
Member States shall ensure that the bodies notified by them participate in the work of that group, directly or by means of designated representatives, or shall ensure that the representatives of notified bodies are informed thereof.
Article 56: Procedure to deal at national level with construction products presenting a risk
Where, in the course of that evaluation, the market surveillance authorities find that the construction product does not comply with the requirements laid down in this Regulation, they shall without delay require the relevant economic operator to take all appropriate corrective actions to bring the product into compliance with those requirements, notably with the declared performance, or to withdraw the product from the market, or recall it within a reasonable period, commensurate with the nature of the risk, as they may prescribe.
The market surveillance authorities shall inform the notified body accordingly, if a notified body is involved.
Article 21 of Regulation 2008/765 shall apply to the measures referred to in the second subparagraph of this paragraph.
The market surveillance authorities shall inform the Commission and the other Member States, without delay, of those measures.
Article 57: Union safeguard procedure
The Commission shall address its decision to all Member States and shall immediately communicate it to them and to the relevant economic operator(s).
Where the national measure is considered to be justified and the non-compliance of the construction product is attributed to shortcomings in the European Assessment Document or in the Specific Technical Documentation as referred to in Article 56(5) (b), the Commission shall bring the matter before the Standing Committee on Construction and subsequently adopt the appropriate measures.
Article 58: Complying construction products which nevertheless present a risk to health and safety
Article 59: Formal non-compliance
Article 60: Delegated acts
Article 61: Exercise of the delegation
Article 62: Revocation of the delegation
Article 63: Objections to delegated acts
At the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council, that period shall be extended by 3 months.
The delegated act may be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and enter into force before the expiry of that period if the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission of their intention not to raise objections. Official Journal of the European Union
Article 64: Committee
Article 65: Repeal
Article 66: Transitional provisions
Article 67: Reporting by the Commission
If appropriate, the report shall, within 2 years of its submission to the European Parliament and to the Council, be followed up by appropriate legislative proposals.
Article 68: Entry into force
However, Articles 3 to 28, Articles 36 to 38, Articles 56 to 63, Articles 65 and 66, as well as Annexes I, II, III and V shall apply from 1 July 2013.
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BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKS BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKS
Construction works as a whole and in their separate parts must be fit for their intended use, taking into account in particular the health and safety of persons involved throughout the life cycle of the works. Subject to normal maintenance, construction works must satisfy these basic requirements for construction works for an economically reasonable working life.
Mechanical resistance and stability
The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that the loadings that are liable to act on them during their constructions and use will not lead to any of the following:
The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that in the event of an outbreak of fire:
The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that they will, throughout their life cycle, not be a threat to the hygiene or health and safety of workers, occupants or neighbours, nor have an exceedingly high impact, over their entire life cycle, on the environmental quality or on the climate during their construction, use and demolition, in particular as a result of any of the following:
The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that they do not present unacceptable risks of accidents or damage in service or in operation such as slipping, falling, collision, burns, electrocution, injury from explosion and burglaries. In particular, construction works must be designed and built taking into consideration accessibility and use for disabled persons.
Protection against noise
The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that noise perceived by the occupants or people nearby is kept to a level that will not threaten their health and will allow them to sleep, rest and work in satisfactory conditions.
Energy economy and heat retention
The construction works and their heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation installations must be designed and built in such a way that the amount of energy they require in use shall be low, when account is taken of the occupants and of the climatic conditions of the location. Construction works must also be energy-efficient, using as little energy as possible during their construction and dismantling.
Sustainable use of natural resources
The construction works must be designed, built and demolished in such a way that the use of natural resources is sustainable and in particular ensure the following:
PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTING A EUROPEAN ASSESSMENT DOCUMENT PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTING A EUROPEAN ASSESSMENT DOCUMENT
Request for a European Technical Assessment
When a manufacturer makes a request for a European Technical Assessment to any TAB for a construction product, and after the manufacturer and the TAB (hereinafter referred to as the ‘responsible TAB’) have signed an agreement of commercial secrecy and confidentiality, unless the manufacturer decides otherwise, the manufacturer shall submit to the responsible TAB a technical file describing the product, its use as foreseen by the manufacturer and details of the factory production control the manufacturer intends to apply.
Contract
For construction products referred to in Article 21(1) (c), within 1 month from the reception of the technical file, a contract shall be concluded between the manufacturer and the responsible TAB for the production of the European Technical Assessment, defining the work programme for drawing up the European Assessment Document, including:
After the conclusion of the contract with the manufacturer, the organisation of TABs shall inform the Commission of the work programme for drawing up the European Assessment Document, the schedule for its execution and indicating the assessment programme. This communication shall take place within 3 months of receipt of the request for a European Technical Assessment.
The draft European Assessment Document
The organisation of TABs shall finalise a draft European Assessment Document by means of the working group coordinated by the responsible TAB and shall communicate such draft to the parties concerned within 6 months of the date the Commission was informed of the work programme.
Commission Participation
A Commission representative may participate, as observer, to all the parts of the execution of the work programme.
Extension and delay
Any delay in relation to the time limits set in Sections 1 to 4 in this Annex shall be reported by the working group to the organisation of TABs and to the Commission.
If an extension of the time limits for developing the European Assessment Document can be justified, notably by the absence of a Commission decision on the applicable system of assessment and verification of constancy of performance for the construction product or by the need to develop a new test method, an extended time limit shall be set by the Commission.
Amendments and adoption of a European Assessment Document
The responsible TAB shall communicate the draft European Assessment Document to the manufacturer, who shall have 15 working days to react thereto. Thereafter, the organisation of TABs shall:
Final European Assessment Document to be published
As soon as the first European Technical Assessment is issued by the responsible TAB on the basis of the adopted European Assessment Document, that European Assessment Document shall be adjusted, if appropriate, based on experiences gained. The organisation of TABs shall adopt the final European Assessment Document and shall send a copy thereof to the Commission, together with a translation of its title in all the official languages of the Union, for publication of its reference. The organisation of TABs shall keep the European Assessment Document available by electronic means as soon as the product has been CE-marked.
DECLARATION OF PERFORMANCE DECLARATION OF PERFORMANCE
No. …
PRODUCT AREAS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR TABS PRODUCT AREAS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR TABS
Table 1 — Product areas Table 1 — Product areas
Table 2 — Requirements for TABs Table 2 — Requirements for TABs
ASSESSMENT AND VERIFICATION OF CONSTANCY OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT AND VERIFICATION OF CONSTANCY OF PERFORMANCE
SYSTEMS OF ASSESSMENT AND VERIFICATION OF CONSTANCY OF PERFORMANCE
With respect to the function of notified bodies involved in the assessment and verification of constancy of performance for construction products, distinction shall be made between:
(1) product certification body : a governmental or non-governmental notified body, possessing the necessary competence and responsibility to carry out a product certification in accordance with given rules of procedure and management; product certification body
(2) factory production control certification body : a notified body, governmental or non-governmental, possessing the necessary competence and responsibility to carry out factory production control certification in accordance to given rules of procedure and management; factory production control certification body
(3) testing laboratory : a notified laboratory which measures, examines, tests, calibrates or otherwise determines the characteristics or performance of materials or construction products. testing laboratory
CASES OF ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS WHERE REFERENCE TO A RELEVANT HARMONISED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION IS NOT REQUIRED
Footnote p0: This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Strasbourg, 9 March 2011.