To clarify and reassure those who have been informed late: there is a 15-year transition period for the Construction Products Regulation between the old and new legal frameworks (i.e. until 2039). So there is still time to adjust.

However, the changes are far-reaching and an early changeover, in particular to meet the environmental criteria for the sale of the product, could be advantageous. The market and users are increasingly focusing on the topics of the environment, climate and sustainability. In the future, public contracts will only be awarded with a corresponding construction life cycle assessment, as the following summary of the main changes in the Construction Products Regulation shows:

• In the future, every product will receive a digital construction product passport that contains, among other things, information on durability, reusability, retrofitting and reparability, resource efficiency, recycling and the CO2 footprint. This enables companies and consumers to make more environmentally conscious purchasing decisions.
• Acceleration of the standardisation process through harmonised technical specifications with regard to safety-related and environmental aspects
• In the future, public contracts should increasingly favour ecologically sustainable construction products.
• The regulation now also takes into account topics such as online trade and 3D printing.

The regulation also applies, among other things, to used construction products, the installation of the products, even if it is carried out as a separate service, and the intended use of the products. It applies to products manufactured in Europe and to those imported from abroad that fall within the scope of EU directives.

The same applies to the CE marking of the construction product. Without CE marking (CE stands for ‘Conformité Européenne’, European Conformity), construction products may not be used in EU member states. Important: The CE mark is not a quality or seal of quality that particularly highlights CE products compared to similar competing products.

The CE marking of the construction product means that it fulfils the applicable safety-related EU directives and standards (health risk and occupational safety) and has the properties specified in the Declaration of Performance (DoP).

The DoP is a central document of the Construction Products Regulation and the basis for CE marking. It describes the essential characteristics of the construction product and its performance. The DoP emphasises the manufacturer's technical and legal responsibility and is an important source of information for the users of the construction product and for all those involved in the construction process.

The new Construction Products Regulation, which will come into force at the end of 2024, updates the legislation that has been in force since 2011. The digital construction product passport will become mandatory from 2030, and from 2027 for special product groups such as batteries.