Guide to Construction Products Regulation (CPR)

What is the Construction Products Regulation (CPR)?

The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is a pivotal EU legislation that sets standardized safety, performance, and environmental impact requirements for construction products across the EU. Originally established in 2011 to streamline the circulation of construction products within the Single Market through standardized guidelines, the CPR was updated in 2024 to address modern environmental challenges, advancing sustainability and transparency in the construction sector. The updated legislation defines key performance areas, includes harmonized CE marking rules, and mandates that Member States enforce safety and environmental requirements.

What changed with the CPR update?

Adopted by the European Council in November 2024, the revised CPR has introduced several important measures that manufacturers must adhere to:

Digital Product Passports (DPP): The DPP is a digital repository of a product's technical specifications and environmental data, facilitating compliance and traceability across the EU market.

Enhanced CE marking: CE marking now reflects both technical performance and environmental impact, ensuring products meet comprehensive safety and sustainability requirements.

Environmental reporting standards: CPR requires manufacturers to report on climate-related indicators, particularly CO2 emissions and energy usage, for priority construction products, with more indicators added gradually over the next few years.

CPR and other EU sustainability regulations

The CPR aligns closely with other EU sustainability frameworks, such as the Eco-Design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). This alignment ensures that CPR-compliant products can directly contribute to EU-wide energy efficiency and circular economy targets. Product-level data will feed into building-level assessments, making the construction industry more sustainable and data-driven. 

Why is the CPR important for manufacturers outside of the EU? 

For manufacturers outside the EU, aligning with CPR standards is critical to accessing and maintaining a position in the EU market. Compliance with CPR not only enables seamless market entry but also reduces the need for redundant testing and certifications across different EU member states. This unified compliance approach reduces administrative and financial burdens, enhancing market transparency and simplifying cross-border sales.

For an overview of the recent CPR adoption, manufacturers can watch the European Commission’s Conference on the New CPR.

Core requirements for compliance with the CPR

• Standardized product performance and priority categories  

Under the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), products must meet specific technical performance standards to ensure durability, safety, and overall reliability. The regulation prioritizes categories with high environmental impacts, particularly concrete, steel, and insulation materials, due to their significant embodied carbon and role in energy efficiency. Additional categories, including adhesives and paints, are also prioritized as critical construction materials. Standards for these priority categories are expected to roll out by 2026. The individual standards for these product categories will need to also be officially adopted for each priority category, before applying these standards. 

• Environmental reporting and Digital Product Passports (DPP)

One of the most substantial updates in the 2024 CPR is the introduction of mandatory environmental reporting. Initially, manufacturers are required to report on climate impact indicators, specifically CO2 emissions and energy consumption related to product manufacturing. As environmental standards evolve, additional metrics such as recyclability, resource efficiency, and toxicity will be phased in to provide a full lifecycle profile for each product.

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is the primary means of reporting environmental data according to the PCR. The DPP will be mandatory for priority categories and will store standardized data that can be easily accessed by regulatory bodies and stakeholders, such as architects and building owners. This digitalization supports transparency and compliance checks, integrates with Building Information Modeling (BIM) systems, and ultimately improves data consistency across the entire EU market.

The updated CPR requirements align with EN 15804, a European standard that establishes rules about creating Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for construction products and materials. EPDs provide transparent and comparable information about the life-cycle environmental impact of products within specific product categories. They enable manufacturers to transparently communicate the environmental performance of their products and it allows AEC professionals to make sustainable choices by comparing similar products based on their EPDs.

• Expanded Declaration of Performance (DoP)

CPR compliance requires an expanded Declaration of Performance (DoP), which now includes environmental data in addition to traditional technical claims. The DoP acts as a comprehensive product dossier, detailing both performance and environmental standards that the product meets. This declaration is essential for regulatory authorities, as it ensures that all technical and environmental claims are verified and transparent.

Manufacturers seeking a deeper understanding of DoP requirements and templates can find additional resources on the EU's Construction Products Regulation Page.

CPR compliance and market access for manufacturers

What will be required by manufacturers in order to meet the rules and standards needed to sell construction products in the European Union. By following these requirements, manufacturers can ensure their products are allowed into the EU market and are recognized for safety, quality, and environmental responsibility.

• CE marking and its implications

The revised CPR integrates environmental criteria into the CE marking, which is now a mandatory indicator of both safety and environmental compliance. The enhanced CE marking requires manufacturers to verify that their products not only meet technical standards but also align with EU environmental goals, promoting responsible, transparent market practices. The updated CE marking system is intended to prevent "greenwashing" by holding manufacturers accountable for environmental claims through verified data.

Learn more about why EPD verification transparency matters.

• Harmonized standards and simplified compliance across the EU

The CPR’s harmonized zone provides a cohesive regulatory framework for the EU, ensuring that CPR-compliant products are marketable across all member states without needing additional certifications. This harmonization is key to simplifying market entry, reducing the complexity of compliance, and eliminating redundant testing. Additionally, each EU country will have to establish Product Contact Points for Construction (PCPCs) to assist manufacturers in understanding specific regulatory requirements. These contact points are critical for manufacturers navigating regional variations and provide targeted support for new or complex compliance issues.

For detailed information on PCPCs, you can refer to the European Commission's documentation Inventory of Contact Points (PCP, PCPC).

• Tailored support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

To support smaller enterprises, CPR provides tailored options that reduce the costs and administrative burdens associated with full-scale testing. Micro-enterprises may submit simplified documentation verified by a third-party notified body, allowing them to bypass more extensive requirements. Additionally, manufacturers can rely on shared testing data for similar products, meaning products that have similar technical and environmental characteristics. For shared testing data to be accepted, it must be verified by a Notified Body, an independent organization authorized to assess conformity with EU standards.  

Next steps and projected CPR implementation 

The updated CPR mandates full compliance for all priority product categories by 2028, including the integration of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and a comprehensive set of environmental indicators. However, full compliance will depend on the gradual adoption of standards for each category.

More specifically, the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is expected to come into force shortly after its publication in the Official Journal in early 2025, but implementation will be gradual. Compliance will require revisions of all harmonized product standards (hENs) through the Acquis process, which will affect product categories at different times. Only after a construction product family completes this process will it fall under the updated CPR, requiring verification of environmental data. Here’s how manufacturers can prepare:

1. Target dates: The EU’s target years (2026, 2028, 2030) guide the rollout, but compliance timelines will vary based on when standards for each product category are adopted.
2. Standards-dependent compliance: Full compliance for priority materials like concrete, steel, and insulation is expected around 2026, with requirements becoming enforceable once individual standards are finalized.
3. Long-term alignment: By 2030, more comprehensive reporting, including full lifecycle environmental data, is expected. Early preparation will help manufacturers align with EU climate goals and maintain market access as these regulations phase in.

CPR implementation – key suggestions for manufacturers

• Digital readiness: Invest in digital infrastructure to support DPPs, manage lifecycle data, and ensure smooth integration with BIM systems. Manufacturers should assess current data collection practices to ensure compatibility with CPR requirements.
• Standardized data reporting: Align environmental data collection and reporting with EN 15804 standards for lifecycle assessment (LCA) data. Standardizing data inputs from the beginning will simplify compliance and enhance the reliability of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
• Team training and education: Educate relevant staff on the updated CPR requirements, particularly around environmental data and DPP management. 
• Supply chain transparency: Collaborate closely with suppliers to demand verified and accurate environmental data. Accurate supply chain data is crucial for reliable LCA reporting, which will play an increasingly important role in EU market access.

By following these best practices, manufacturers can position themselves for long-term success in the EU market, ensuring compliance with not only current but also future CPR requirements.

How can One Click LCA help you with your sustainability reporting?

1. Create & publish EPDs for your products

One Click LCA's EPD Generator tool offers an end-to-end solution for manufacturers who need to create environmental product declarations (EPDs) compliant with EN 15804 standard. With this tool, users can perform unlimited life-cycle assessments (LCAs) and create EPDs at scale for any product category. 

2. Get your products specified 

With specifiers increasingly relying on EPDs to select low-carbon materials for building projects, having third-party-verified EPDs is essential for manufacturers to maintain visibility in the construction industry. One Click LCA’s Manufacturer Pages allows you to consolidate all your products’ EPDs and other sustainability data alongside 250,000 construction products in a single, up-to-date, and easily accessible location. By organizing everything on one page, you simplify the process for AEC professionals to find, review, and select your products.