Significant progress has been made in the ongoing discussions surrounding the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). The European Parliament and the Council have recently finalised their positions, marking a major step towards updating the rules governing the trade of construction products within the EU.
Both institutions have made substantial changes to the original proposal from the European Commission, aiming to clarify and simplify the regulation and to promote standardisation.
During the plenary session of the European Parliament on July 11, the IMCO report was successfully adopted without any change. The Parliament aims to streamline the standardisation process, reduce trade barriers, and ensure market harmonisation by accelerating the adoption of standards and defining clear roles. It proposes narrowing the CPR’s scope to exclude certain construction products, while highlighting the importance of digitalisation by suggesting the implementation of a “digital passport” for each construction product.
The European Council adopted its mandate on the last day of the Swedish presidency, on June 30. The Council proposes a case-by-case harmonisation approach to construction products, expanding the regulation’s scope to include used and remanufactured products via dedicated standards. The Council’s position also seeks to clarify the responsibilities of Member states and the EU, ensuring a balanced distribution of authority and a cooperative approach to regulation.
To construction SMEs and crafts, these positions seem aligned as they seek to create a more efficient and transparent framework that supports the sector’s growth and addresses environmental goals. Regarding the crucial need to reduce administrative burdens for SMEs and create a functioning standardisation system, while progress has been made, there are still details that require further attention, particularly regarding simplifications for micro-enterprises.
Interinstitutional negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission are the next step and are scheduled to begin on July 17.
 | To read the European Pariament’s Press Release, click here. To read the joint EBC-SBS position paper on the CPR revision proposal , click here. To read the EBC, SBS, FIEC and CPE joint statement on the IMCO report on the CPR, click here. |