TEPPFA - CPD Issues & CE Marking in Quality of Product

Construction products as per the CPD (CPD 89 106 Amended, CPD Draft Regulation) are to be regulated. The aim is to the removal of technical barriers to the free circulation of goods. Essential Requirements (ER’s) are established, which are related only to health, safety and the protection of the environment.

The CPD also sets out uniform European Requirements for testing and attestation of conformity for construction products. This includes products for the infrastructure of buildings. Product characteristics and testing methods are set out in European standards (hEN’s) drawn up by the European standardisation body CEN.

The set of hEN's for plastic piping products establishes the characteristics of each product that must be determined and declared. There is also a requirement for clear and unambiguous labelling. Test methods for the characteristics are clearly specified.

hEN's for plastic piping products under the CPD are not voluntary. They contain the Annex ZA that makes the hEN mandatory.

Suppliers of plastic pipe products have to declare with which of these requirements their products comply. Furthermore, Member States have to accept as fact that products comply with the declared values.

Member States have to adapt their provisions in such away that they do not use their own definitions of characteristics of construction when European requirements for these characteristics already exist.

CE marking

CE marking on products for plastic piping systems shows that

The manufacturer/importer has declared in the EC declaration of Conformity:
performance characteristics or class measured in accordance with the relevant (harmonized) European standard (hEN) and the system of factory production control (FPC)
The product has been tested using harmonized test methods
The manufacturer/importer declares conformity with these characteristics using the level of attestation of conformity (AoC) mandated by the EC and confirmed in the hEN. There is no third party involved for the characteristics of most products associated with plastic pipes.
The designer/installer/client can select the product which meets the performance characteristics required by his design and in accordance with the local building regulations which he knows and understands
The installer/client/building inspector can see on the accompanying information, (label, packaging, commercial documents, website)
that this product has the values specified by the designer and within the requirements of the local regulations.

It is expected that in future some specific issues related to the health and safety of construction products will be added e.g.:

Issues related to the plastic piping products in contact with drinking water (see also Clause 3, EAS)
REACH and the provisions relating to dangerous substances

TEPPFA has published a set of documentation and guidance for introduction of CE marking.

Read more… CE marking guide, CE Flyer