The Construction Products Regulation
The Construction Products Regulation (CPR), in force in the UK on 1 July 2013, permits the use of a wide range of standards and specifications recognised throughout the European Economic Area (EEA) (see Note 1).
Standards of safety, suitability and fitness measured against factors common throughout Europe are intended to avoid unnecessary barriers to trade. The European standards body (CEN), see clause 0.8.2, produce harmonised European Standards (EN) to replace the variety of standards used throughout Member States (see Note 2). These ENs have been or will be published in the UK by the British Standards Institution (BSI) as a BS EN. Once a BS EN is published, the old BS will co-exist for a transitional period (usually 1 year) with the corresponding BS. Until the BS EN comes into force during which both BS and BS EN may be referenced. At the end of the transitional period the BS is withdrawn and the BS EN must be adopted.
The complex processes involved in the production of European Standards can create lengthy development times. European Standards in draft form are termed prEN and are released into the public domain when they are issued for consultation. It has been found necessary, occasionally, to reference prEN in the Technical Handbooks where no other suitable document yet exists.
Any reference in the Technical Handbooks to a British Standard (BS), British Standard Code of Practice (CP), European Standard (BS EN or prEN) or International Standard (BS EN ISO) is to a standard published by BSI. Where a revision or a newer standard has since been produced, this newer version may be used as an alternative, unless otherwise stated in the handbooks. Any reference in the handbooks to a particular requirement or recommendation of such a standard should be taken, unless the context otherwise requires, as including reference to any relevant commentary and defined terminology contained in that standard. Attention is also drawn to the status accorded to standards and specifications recognised elsewhere in the EEA which provide an equivalent standard – see the guidance to Regulation 8, Materials, durability and workmanship. Compliance with the standards contained in publications in this category represent compliance with the appropriate standards referred to elsewhere in the handbooks and is acceptable until a relevant harmonised standard is introduced.
Harmonised test methods have been agreed collectively by Member States and CEN on the basis of the implications of health and safety of the product and on the particular nature and production process for the product itself. Certification, inspection and testing of construction products is carried out by notified bodies who have been appointed for the purpose by a Member State and whose name has been notified to the European Commission. The British Board of Agrément (BBA) is a notified body for certain products. Any reference in the handbooks to a certificate issued by a notified body or to a BBA Certificate should be construed as reference to the current certificate.
Any reference in the handbooks to a publication should be construed as a reference to that publication as detailed in Column 1 of the list of publications given in this Appendix, subject to such amendments, supplements or addenda as are detailed in the list.
Where a publication referred to in the handbooks itself refers to another publication, the reference to such other publication should be considered to be a reference to the latest edition including any amendments, supplements or addenda.
Where the standards listed in this Appendix have been amended or replaced since the publication of the handbooks, it is no longer necessary to await the publication of updated guidance. The verifier can accept a design to the new standard if it considers the relevant expanded functional standard is met.
Note 1. The European Economic Area Agreement is given affect in the UK by the European Economic Area Act 1993 and entered into force on 1 January 1994.
Note 2. A Member State is a state which is a member of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association and is a contracting party to the European Economic Area Agreement.