The procedures leading to a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and a CE-marking are described in Construction Product Regulation 305/2011 (CPR).
The first precondition for starting the procedure is that the construction product in question falls under the scope of CPR. Read this article to find out whether this is the case.
When there is a harmonised standard relevant for the product, the process is a must. If no harmonised standard exists, there is a voluntary procedure through EOTA. Otherwise, DoP and CE-marking are not relevant and cannot be issued.
The whole bunch of tasks and obligation of the manufacturers are a combination the following:
- instructions in a harmonised standard or an EAD
- legal text of the CPR
- their interpretation by Notified Bodies (if involved)
The difficulty and complexity of the process depends on the level of AVCP system, which is described in this article. Nevertheless, the main principles are always the same:
- The manufacturer has to elaborate appropriate technical documentation to the product, which describes everything needed for a constant manufacture of the product.
- The manufacturer has to establish a functional permanent and internal control of production ensuring the product will always comply with the technical documentation.
- The manufacturer has to assess the product (usually by testing) so that its performance can be declared.
- The manufacturer has to issue a DoP and label the product with CE marking. Other information for the processing, use, storage of the product etc. must be made available where relevant.
According to the AVCP system specified, some of the tasks are performed either by the manufacturer or a contracted Notified Body. Usually, the involvement of a Notified Body makes the procedure longer and more costly. The variants of AVCP systems are described in this article. As all Notified Bodies act under the same law (CPR), the manufacturer can contract any Notified Body. He does not need to stick to his national institute(s) unlike in the case of national certification.
It must be said that additional requirements beyond the framework of CPR can be in place, mainly matters related to labelling, packaging and safety (CLP, REACH). Some other non-harmonised issues also exist.
Summary
The process ending with a DoP and a CE marking varies according to the specific product family. CPR sets the legal background and technical details are elaborated in harmonised standards or EADs