CPR Revision – Boosting the Internal Market for Construction Products will Improve Fire Safety

Fire Safe Europe would like to make concrete suggestions to optimise the Commission’s proposal and ensure the sustainability of the built environment, specifically regarding fire safety:

• Delegated acts should be an extraordinary tool to be developed in an efficient, transparent and balanced manner, while their use should be duly justified by the European Commission;

• Balanced representation and contribution of essential stakeholders in standardisation bodies should be ensured;

• The continuity of the EOTA (European Organisation for Technical Assessment) route shall be guaranteed, and the Member States must continue to accept ETAs (European Technical Assessments) in the future;

• Fire safety over the lifetime of construction products should be one of the key performance indicators of sustainability considerations in the CPR, as it is a crucial element of the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the built environment;

• While boosting the circular economy, it is crucial to ensure a proper assessment of  the actual fire performance of re-processed or re-used construction products according to relevant product standards before their introduction into the market;

• The Commission should develop direct regulations and/or model codes/guidelines to address possible new fire risks associated with the increasing use of renewables as well as solutions/technologies running on electricity;

• The Digital Product Passport will have to respect intellectual property rights by guaranteeing a balanced approach between the need for public data and the rights of companies to keep crucial product information, ensuring fair competition.

Fanny Guay, FSEU’s Technical and Regulatory Affairs Chairperson, commented: “The fire safety sector strongly relies on and benefits from standards that must remain aligned with changing market and regulatory demands. The revision of the CPR is a crucial step to ensure a transparent and cooperative standardisation process which is crucial to improve fire resilience, enable sustainability and support innovation in the construction sector”.