This week, the European Parliament discussed the progress made in its internal discussions on the Construction Product Regulation (CPR). The discussions demonstrated the overall goal of the European Parliament to minimise unnecessary bureaucracy or administrative burden for the construction sector, with a focus to improve sustainability.
The Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), under the lead of Rapporteur MEP Christian Doleschal (EPP/ Germany), presented the discussions on 15 compromises, which try to build an agreement between the around 600 amendments submitted on the draft Report published in November. One key topic of discussion has been the scope of the regulation, with the committee agreeing to focus on key product groups, while the debate is still ongoing on whether direct installation of products should be removed of the scope or if its definition should be specified. There have been also some disagreements on the requirements for Green Public Procurement (GPP) and how to find a compromise between setting high ambitions and not introducing additional burdens. Finally, the importance of prioritizing standardisation and protecting SMEs were broadly agreed among all the parties.
On a similar note, the vote on the opinion of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) called for avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy for the construction sector and limiting bureaucratic requirements. The simplification procedures were proposed to be clarified, while it was further emphasized that the sector should have a say in the standards and specifications of construction products to ensure feasibility.
The lead IMCO Committee is expected to vote on its report at the end of May 2023, taking into account the opinions of the ENVI and ITRE committees. Once the responsible committee has defined its position, the EU Parliament will vote in July, after which negotiations with the Council and the Commission can begin.
EBC is closely monitoring the process and contributing to the discussion in collaboration with Small Business Standards SBS, so that the concerns and requests of the micro, small and medium-sized companies of the construction sector are considered and reflected in this major legislative vehicle for the sector.
 | To read the EBC/SBS position paper on the CPR revision proposal , click here. To read the EBC, SBS, FIEC and CPE joint statement on the draft IMCO report on the CPR, click here.. |