This is an old and unsuccessful story. Anyone on a construction site can see that some materials have CE marking on the wrapping, but not all of them, because the standardisation process leading to CE mark accreditation is so bureaucratic and slow. As stated in the Explanatory Memorandum of this Proposal, “Due to these deficiencies, Member States apply national marks, certifications and approvals. This is in breach of the CPR and not in line with the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice.” But the Commission doesn’t litigate because it knows that the standardisation system itself is at fault.
On 30 March, the Commission tabled a Proposal for an amending Regulation intended to rationalise the standardisation process and reduce the weight of the construction and construction products industry in standardisation bodies.
Another important new aspect is that – in the context of the Green Deal and its Circular Economy elements – the Proposal extends the scope of environmental and climate requirements with a new emphasis on repairability and maintenance.
Full EPF Secretariat report under epf22-23 of 11.04.2022
