CSIL report “ETAs in Global Markets”

The economic research institute CSIL Milano has produced the report “ETAs in Global Markets: a databased analysis” on the relevance of ETAs outside the EU. The report is available on the EOTA website (www.eota.eu).

Text Elisabeth Bata

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The most important results are briefly summarized here:

  • 12% of all ETAs are applied for by manufacturers based outside the scope of the Construction Products Regulation.Note: The Construction Products Regulation applies throughout the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Turkey. These federal states are therefore counted as “EU” for the purposes of this study.
  • The product areas for which most ETAs are applied for worldwide are fastenings (area code 33) as well as fire protection penetration seals and fire protection claddings, flame retardant products (area code 35).
  • The federal states with the highest demand for ETAs outside the EU are Australia (81 ETAs), China (73 ETAs), Taiwan (63 ETAs), India (53 ETAs) and the United States (50 ETAs).
  • In general, an increasing interest in ETAs can be observed in China, Brazil, India and the United Arab Emirates.
  • In general, manufacturers based in countries with close economic ties to the EU are more likely to have an ETA. The major exception is Australia, where ETAs have become a best practice and are used not only for trade but also for the domestic market.

The main objective of this study was to draw attention to the potential benefits of improving the global visibility of ETAs. A high profile for ETAs in non-EU markets can help to reduce technical barriers to trade and create win-win situations where external markets benefit from high European standards in terms of safety, health and the environment.

Publication of European Assessment Documents (EADs) in the Official Journal of the EU

As of the end of March 2024, 408 EADs including various amendments have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. 654 EADs are available at EOTA level for the issuing of European Technical Assessments (ETA). This also includes those EADs for which the adoption procedures in accordance with Annex II to the Construction Products Regulation have been completed but which have not yet been published in the Official Journal.

A total of twelve further EEASs have now been classified as “greenlighted” by the Commission services. However, final inclusion still requires the conclusion of interinstitutional consultations at EC level.

Joint Action Plan EC-EOTA for processing the “Backlog of EADs”

The EAD Action Plan has been formally completed since the end of 2023(The EAD Action Plan: a success story | EOTA). Although the target (80% of the 137 EADs in the Official Journal) was narrowly missed, the results can be considered a success.

  • A total of 98 EADActionPlan procedures were completed.
  • 89 EADs were published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
  • Nine projects were integrated into other EADs.

The upstream review of EADs by the experts of EOTA’s Project Team 16 (OIB is represented in it) has proven to be extremely efficient from the point of view of the TB members.

Impact of the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR new) on EOTA

At the time of the EOTATechnical Board meeting, the final text of the new Construction Products Regulation had not yet been adopted by the European Parliament. Note: The document was adopted on April 10, 2024.

The next milestones are the adoption by the European Council and the translations into all official languages of the Member States. Publication is expected in the 4th quarter of 2024 at the earliest.

The most important changes are briefly summarized here:

  • In the new CPR, European Assessment Documents are no longer assigned to the harmonized zone.
  • The focus for the EOTARoute is on innovative products.
  • In addition to the basic requirements for construction works, the previously defined essential environmental characteristics must be assessed. In addition, information on general product information, instructions for use and safety information must also be integrated into EADs.
  • An ETA can only be issued after the underlying EAD has been published in the Official Journal.