The only aspects of cable performance falling within the scope of the CPR are:

• fire reaction
• fire resistance
• emissions of hazardous substances during normal operation – not including fire performance – dismantling and recycling.

Fire-resistant cables certainly fall within the scope of the CPR. CPR covers both fire reaction and fire resistance, although at present only the harmonized EN 50575 standard for fire reaction is available. This means that fire-resistant cables cannot be certified under the CPR regulation until the specific harmonized standard has been issued and published in the Official Journal of the EU. In consequence, it is currently forbidden to put a CE marking and issue a DoP for fire-resistant cables.

The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is intended to provide reliable information on construction products in terms of their performance. To this end, a “common technical language” is used, with harmonized methods for assessing the performance of construction products.

These methods are set out in European standards. The common technical language must be applied not only by manufacturers when declaring the performance of their products, but also by the authorities of Member States to specify requirements for construction products in the different local regulations, and by users (architects, engineers, contractors, etc.) when selecting the products best suited to their intended use in construction works.

All cables permanently installed in construction works must have a CE marking. In specific circumstances, national regulatory authorities may define the maximum cable length for which the contribution to fire is deemed negligible and that is therefore acceptable without a CE marking, or with a performance level below the requirements for the specific type of construction. In these cases, the cable should be as short as possible and connected inside the fire compartment entered. For IT (Information Technology) installations, also refer to standard EN50174-2.

EN50174-2 – Information technology installation. Cabling installation. Installation planning and practices inside buildings 4.1.8.2 External cables containing flammable materials – Information technology cables that do not comply with the minimum recommended performance requirements of EN 60332-1-2 shall be either: a) terminated in an entrance facility which is outside the external fire barrier of the building; or b) terminated inside the building, within 2m (unless an alternative distance is specified by local regulations) of the point of internal penetration of the external fire barrier or any length exceeding 2m is installed within trunking or conduit that is considered as a fire barrier in accordance with local fire regulations.

NOTE: This also applies where the cable has to pass through a space between two external fire barriers within a building.

CMS cables and plug-in systems are not covered by the CPR, but it is important for all cables with pre-assembled connectors to comply with the CPR:

• if the prewired conduits and plug-in systems are intended for use in buildings and civil engineering structures subject to reaction-to-fire requirements, or
• if they are sold through the distribution channel and their final destination could be in buildings and civil engineering structures subject to reaction to fire requirements.

In these cases, the cables inside the prewired conduits and plug-in systems must be CPR-certified, and the final product must bear a CE marking indicating the cable’s reaction-to-fire performance. Prewired conduits and plug-in systems are simply a combination of two products (conduit/cable and connector/cable), designed to simplify and speed up cable installation, primarily inside buildings.

Furthermore, just like normal cables, prewired conduits and plug-in systems can be installed in construction works if the minimum CPR Euroclass (including, where applicable, classification for smoke, droplets and acidity) of the cables they contain complies with the Euroclass required for this application in that country.

The CPR makes no distinction based on rated voltage, so all cables permanently installed in construction works must comply with the regulation. However, special applications are excluded from the scope of standard EN50575. Consequently, in some countries, national regulatory bodies may define a maximum rated voltage above which an application is considered as a special application that falls outside the scope of EN50575:2014+A1:2016.

Cables intended for permanent installation in constructions that fall within the scope of two harmonized product standards, i.e.:

• cables to be used for power supply and communication purposes in buildings and other civil engineering works, and which are subject to performance requirements in terms of their reaction to fire.
• and, in the future, cables to be used for power supply and communication purposes, as well as for fire detection and alarms in buildings and other civil engineering structures, where a continuous power supply and/or signal supply is required for safety installations.

Cables intended for permanent installation are cables that are not specifically reserved for temporary installations. Lift cables are not covered by Mandate M/334 EU and are not included.

The manufacturer is the person marketing the product in the EU. This may be the actual manufacturer or an importer.

When referring to cables, “construction works” means buildings and other civil engineering structures subject to fire safety regulations, including efforts to limit the generation and spread of fire and smoke.

The DoP is a document drawn up by the manufacturer for each product covered by the CPR in accordance with regulatory provisions. The DoP:

• identifies the product;
• states its intended use;
• specifies its essential characteristics as defined by its declared performance (for cables, by performance class in terms of reaction to fire, resistance to fire and the release of hazardous substances).

The CPR describes as follows the general obligations of distributors: “(omitted) distributors of construction products should be aware of the essential characteristics for which there are provisions on the Union market, and of the specific requirements in Member States in relation to the basic requirements for construction works, and should use this knowledge in their commercial transactions” (Consideration (41) of CPR Regulation No. 305/2011).

Distributors are also subject to the obligations set out in Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the CPR. When a distributor markets a product under their own name, the distributor is considered to be the manufacturer.

Importers are subject to the obligations set out in Articles 13, 15 and 16 of the CPR.

Yes. Private entities acting in the capacity of public enterprises (e.g. railway operators or electricity and telecoms network operators) must adapt their cable specifications to the language used in the CPR, concerning test methods for fire behavior based on Euroclasses. This requirement is based on Article 8.5 of the CPR (General principles and use of CE marking), which states:

“A Member State shall ensure that the use of construction products bearing the CE marking shall not be impeded by rules or conditions imposed by public bodies or private bodies acting as a public undertaking, or acting as a public body on the basis of a monopoly position or under a public mandate, when the declared performances correspond to the requirements for such use in that Member State.”

• An additional testing/certification procedure based on existing quality labels. The higher the level of declared performance, the stricter the application of this procedure. Testing becomes more intensive when we move from up from class Eca to Dca and beyond (from small flame test to large scale fire scenario). Ongoing monitoring procedures to certify DoP compliance of all Cca and B2ca cables produced as part of System 1+ are particularly stringent and costly. Implementing the CPR impacts a wide range of corporate functions: engineering, manufacturing, logistics and quality management, IT.
• The new marking, labeling and electronic distribution of DoPs involves huge investments to ensure that all these new documents and texts are perfectly aligned and fully available to end-users. In many cases, products have to be given new labels. The DoPs must remain available for 10 years after the end of production.
• Most cables that are class Dca or higher require a full review to ensure that all types comply with the DoP. New materials have been developed in response to the new Euroclasses and also to additional requirements, concerning flaming droplets for example.
• For all cables at each level of performance, the consequences of non-compliance are multiple and increasingly severe. They can even result in a complete withdrawal of production from the market.

The CPR will be applied by each Member State with no differences in interpretation. The classification is the common language for determining the level of fire performance of cables (reaction to fire and resistance to fire in the future) and will be used in both local regulations and user specifications.

Any decision about which class to adopt for a given application is a national matter and may vary from one Member State to another. The parameters can be combined in many different ways (class + smoke + droplets + acidity), giving Member States considerable flexibility.

Not all Member States regulate the fire performance of cables.

The manufacturer’s obligations are set out in Article 11 of the CPR.
Before marketing a product covered by a harmonized standard, the manufacturer is required to draw up a declaration of performance (DoP) and affix the CE marking.

All the information provided in the DoP is obtained by strict application of the methods and criteria set out in the relevant harmonized standard.

The correct application of these methods and criteria is guaranteed by the manufacturer themselves and by the appropriate involvement of a Notified Body, in accordance with the applicable system of Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance (AVCP).

The CE marking is affixed after the DoP is drawn up, indicating that the manufacturer has followed all applicable procedures in detail when drafting the Declaration of Performance (DoP), which is thus accurate and reliable.

In drawing up the DoP, the manufacturer assumes responsibility for the compliance of the construction product with the declared performance.

Based on the information provided in the DoP, the user will decide which of the products available on the market is best suited for the intended use, and will assume full responsibility for this decision.

The DoP is made available to the public online, for example, or by post or email on request.

Yes, however, you are not authorized to use cables without appropriate CE marking in applications subject to regulations.

CPR requirements apply to all cables marketed in the EU.

This is the date when the CE marking is first affixed to a given product. It is not the date of cable production

According to the product standard, CE marking must be included on the product label in all cases.

No, because the Low Voltage Directive requires a declaration of conformity, while CPR requires a declaration of performance, so the two declarations must be kept separate. However, the CE marking on the CPR label should also cover the Low Voltage Directive.

CE marking will be a preliminary requirement for cables marketed for construction works. The relevance of CE marking under CPR is that it removes technical barriers between Member States concerning the definition of fire performance, and provides a harmonized method for declaring cable conformity.
Quality labels cover other aspects of the product, such as mechanical and electrical performance and dimensions. They are also a unique way to check compliance with voluntary standards. As a result, it would be misleading to compare the CE marking with voluntary national quality labels because they are two different things.

Classes Eca and Fca are based on the tests set out in flame propagation standard IEC/EN 60332-1-2 (meeting and not meeting the highest requirements in terms of flame propagation, respectively). Class Fca falls under AVCP System 4, which means that the assessment is carried out by the manufacturer.

Yes, voluntary certification labels are allowed, but they cannot cover the fire performance of cables concerned by the CPR, in the domain of reaction to fire.

They will continue to be important, as voluntary national quality labels cover aspects of performance other than those concerned by the CPR, e.g. the electrical, mechanical and material characteristics of the cable. They will be integrated into a more comprehensive review of performance.

Yes, but only for applications outside the scope of CPR, such as industrial applications or applications outside the EU.

Product installations do not fall within the scope of CPR. It is not necessary to review existing installations. National Regulations can set rules about existing and new installations as well as special cases e.g. projects started before and completed after the date of application of the CPR.

CE marking under the CPR can begin from the date of application published in the OJEU, and will become compulsory at the end of the coexistence period. For standard EN50575:2014 and its amendment EN50575:2014/A1:2016 relating to fire reaction, the effective date was June 10, 2016, with a period of coexistence ending on July 1, 2017. No date has been set for fire resistance.

The product standard for cables rated for resistance-to-fire performance had not yet been published at the date of publication of these FAQs, and these products cannot be CE marked under the CPR until a later date.

Yes, the CE marking is valid throughout the EU.

At present, Europe has no harmonized procedures (test methods and specification) concerning the emission of hazardous substances from cables. According to EN 50575:2014, reference should be made to national regulations, where applicable. If a cable is marketed in a Member State where regulations of this type are in force, the DoP and the label must refer to them.

In countries where there are no national regulations (applicable to cables), the words “No Performance Determined (NPD)” must appear in the DoP but are not required on the CE marking label.

Independently of this, CPR requires information on any hazardous substances in the product composition to be declared as part of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH), together with the declaration of performance.

Only fire performance levels are harmonized. National cable types remain unchanged except for declared fire performance.

Almost all cable families will need to be reassessed, and no doubt adjusted to meet the requirements of classes B2ca, Cca and Dca classes in particular, as existing performance levels do not meet these new requirements.

Each member state is required to set up a “contact point” where such information can be obtained.

The updated list can be found here: List of national contact points

If they have any doubts, professionals and users can verify the authenticity of the CE marking by contacting:

• the national contact points
• the certification bodies mentioned on the Declaration of Performance and on the label.

The list of national contact points and notified bodies (NANDO; select the product family Power, Control and Communication Cables) is available on the European Commission website.

The following are required:

• knowledge of the Euroclass required by the competent authorities for the planned constructions
• CE marking with the associated information relating to certification
• supplier performance declaration.

Cables with the highest performance levels (classes Aca, B1ca, B2ca and Cca) must comply with AVCP System 1+. This requires the involvement of a notified body in charge of validating the type of product (type of test, etc.), as well as initial inspection of the production unit and production control, and implementation of a continuous production monitoring system, based on samples taken from the production site.

This certification system will ensure that key safety parameters relating to the use of cables in fire conditions are taken into account.

Fire performance classes are based on cable behavior in the event of fire, with characteristics measured dynamically in realistic conditions (large scale fire scenario). This is a major step forward in terms of safety, enabling the authorities to treat cables in the same way as other construction products already covered by the CPR.

The Euroclass table (EN 13501-6) is now part of construction standards in Europe, although implementation varies from one country to another. In compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, each country decides how to implement the Euroclasses. Note that it is not mandatory for the Euroclasses to be integrated with national standards, and some countries may address this aspect in a different way.

However, Euroclasses provide a point of reference in that they are common to all products, whatever their application. The performance levels specified by the classes are comprehensible to all players and decision-makers. The products marketed are subject to stringent testing requirements, delivering high standards in safety and protection for people, animals and property/equipment in the event of fire.