Construction Products Regulation (CPR)

CPR does not forbid the use of PVC cables.

With the publication of EN50575:2014+A1:2016  on 10th June 2016 the coexistence period has officially started, meaning that cables can be CE marked since that date.

No, also Distributors, Specifiers and Building Owners bear responsibilities.

• Distributors should not resell cables for which there is no DoP and which do not bear the appropriate labelling.
• Specifiers must reference appropriate Euroclasses and s/a/d criteria according to national CPR regulations.
• Building owners need to ensure that the infrastructure on their building plans is in line with national CPR regulations.

• The product needs to have a Declaration of Performance (DoP):

  this is a document drawn up by the manufacturer (or importer) in the language(s) required by the EU country where the product is made available and containing defined information such as product identification, its intended use, its declared performance according to CPR and the identification of the Notified Body. The DoP needs to be made publicly available, either on paper or in electronic format. It does not need to accompany the product itself. (see example)

• The product packaging needs to have defined labelling including CE marking:

  labels on cable drums and boxes need to contain the same data as on the DoP, the reference number of the DoP, the CE mark and the year in which the CE marking was first affixed. The language of the label information can be chosen by the manufacturer (or importer). The cable itself does not need to bear the CE marking nor contain any other of the CPR requirements for labelling. (see example label)

The one who places the product on the market in the EU is responsible to comply with the CPR obligations. This is either the actual manufacturer or the importer.

The requirements will depend on various parameters such as the type of building, the level of occupation, the difficulty of evacuation, etc.

These requirements are not harmonised and therefore may vary from country to country.

It is the legal obligation of each EU Member State’s government to adopt CPR in national regulation and to guarantee effective surveillance of its market.

It is an independent organisation which has been designated by a Member State to carry out conformity assessment according to a directive. It is the obligation of the Member State to notify the European Commission and the other Member States of the designation.

Which are the Notified Bodies for CPR?

For the moment there are none. Test labs which are accredited as Notified Body will be listed on the NANDO Information System of the EC website. (Nando = New Approach Notified and Designated Organisations)

There are 2 different procedures:

• System 1+ : to assess Euroclasses B1, B2 and C 

  A Notified Body issues an Attestation of Conformity after an initial type test and a factory audit including regular production inspections (2x/year) and audit tests on samples taken from the warehouse (1x/year).

• System 3 : to assess Euroclasses D and E 

  A Notified Body issues an Attestation of Conformity after an initial type test.

The fire performance of cables is classified based on a number of criteria:

• Flame spread and heat release
• Smoke production, acidity and flaming droplets

These criteria and test methods are specified in existing standards IEC/EN 60332-1, IEC/EN 61034-2, IEC/EN 60754-2 and in a new harmonised European standard EN 50399.

How are the cable performance classes defined?

• 7 Euroclasses for flame spread and heat release: A, B1, B2, C, D, E and F (A being the most severe i.e. non-combustible and F having no criteria specified)
• 5 classifications for smoke production: s1, s1a, s1b, s2, s3 (s1a being the most severe and s3 no criteria specified or failing any of the other four classifications)
• 3 classifications for acidity: a1, a2, a3 (a1 being the most severe and a3 no criteria specified or failing any of the other two classifications)
• 3 classifications for flaming droplets: d0, d1, d2 (d0 being the most severe and d2 no criteria specified or failing any of the other two classifications)

All cables permanently installed in buildings or other civil works.

Which type of cables?

• All cables, including data- and telecommunication cables.
• All type of conductors, copper and optical fibre.

What is “permanently”?

• All horizontal and backbone cables are in scope.
• Cable assemblies and patch cords are out of scope.

Are ships, trains, buses, etc. in the scope of CPR?

• No, these are not civil works.

EN 50575 is the harmonised European standard, issued in 2014 and published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) on 10th July 2015, which specifies requirements for cables used in permanent constructions with regard to their reaction to fire.

• It allows for free circulation of construction products in the EU
• It enables national authorities to set performance requirements using a harmonised European standard so that users of construction products can better define their performance demands
• Market surveillance can rely on one common information structure

• To define harmonised rules for marketing of construction products within the EU
• To provide a common technical language to assess performance of construction products
• To ensure availability of reliable information to allow comparison of construction products from different manufacturers in different countries

Products placed on the market for incorporation in a permanent manner in construction works. Construction works are buildings or other civil works such as tunnels, bridges, metro stations, etc. (not ships, trains, buses, etc.)

Started as a Directive in 1989 (“CPD”) and turned into a Regulation in 2011 (“CPR”) which became applicable from 01st July 2013, the CPR was brought to life by the European Commission to enforce that construction works be designed and executed so as not to endanger the safety of persons, domestic animals or property nor damage the environment.