Product Contact Point FAQs

Construction products for which a harmonised European standard exists require a Europe-wide CE marking and declaration of performance (DoP = Declaration of Performance; to be provided in the German language in Austria). In addition, the construction products must meet the requirements of the Building Materials List ÖE.
Some products which are not included in a harmonised European standard require a CE marking when a European Technical Assessment has been issued for them. Such an assessment is also recognized for construction products which would otherwise require an Austrian Structural Engineering Approval (BTZ) pursuant to the Building Materials List ÖA.
European Technical Assessments can be obtained from any Technical Assessment Body such as the OIB, among others.
A CE marking may be obtained voluntarily by means of an ETA for all construction products which are not covered by a harmonised European standard pursuant to Art. 19 of the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR).
The currently valid list of harmonised European standards as well the two currently valid Building Material Lists can be found at www.oib.or.at.

http://www.oib.or.at/de/baustofflisten

http://www.oib.or.at/de/datenbanken/hen

Pursuant to EU CPR, Art. 14, distributors have to make sure of the following in particular before making a construction product available on the market:

• that the product carries the CE marking, if required,
• that the documents required according to EU CPR, particularly the declaration of performance in German pursuant to Art. 7 para. 4, are enclosed with the product,
• that the product carries a type, batch or serial number or other identifier for the identification of the construction product,
• that the name, registered trade name or registered trademark of the manufacturer as well as his contact address are given on the product and, if necessary, on the packaging or the accompanying documents, and
• that, if applicable, the name of the importer, his registered trade name or registered trademark as well as his contact address are given on the product and, if necessary, on the packaging or the accompanying documents.

Where distributors consider or have reason to believe that the construction product does not meet the declaration of performance or other applicable requirements according to the EU CPR, they shall only make the product available on the market once it complies with the applicable requirements.
If the declaration of performance is missing or flawed, the construction product does not meet the applicable requirements under the EU CPR. The distributor must not make such a construction product available on the market since he has to provide his customers with a correct declaration of performance.

If a construction product presents a risk, the distributors shall immediately inform the authorities responsible for the national market surveillance.
Whether or not a risk is connected with a construction product always requires an individual examination. Since it is often not possible for the distributor to assess the connected risk conclusively, the distributors are advised to notify the competent market surveillance authority of any discrepancies that have been noticed.

Pursuant to Art. 11 of EU CPR, the manufacturer is above all obliged to:

• draw up the declaration of performance,
• compile a technical documentation as the basis for the declaration of performance,
• affix the CE marking on the construction product,
• ensure that the product carries a type, batch or serial number or other identifier for the identification of the construction product,
• give his name, registered trade name or registered trademark as well as his contact address on the construction product (if necessary, on the packaging/accompanying documents),
• keep the declaration of performance and technical documentation for ten years from the placing on the market (if necessary, deviating specifications in delegated acts from the Commission which do not exist as yet are to be taken into account),
• carry out inspections, if appropriate, on random samples of the construction products placed on the market or made available on the market by him,
• take any required corrective actions, if he has reason to believe that the construction product he placed on the market does not meet the declaration of performance or other requirements of the EU CPR (e.g. in case of complaints or in the course of determining deviations from the declared performance as part of routine monitoring).

The manufacturer is also subject to a handover obligation to national authorities with respect to all information and documents necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the construction product with the declaration of performance and the compliance with other requirements laid down by EU CPR. This specifically includes

• technical documentation including documents of his own factory production control and technical specifications,
• the declaration of performance,
• instructions and safety information,
• if necessary, the certificate of constancy of performance or the attestation of conformity of the factory production control and
• inspection reports of the initial assessment.

The declaration of performance is to be drawn up using the model set out in Annex III of the EU CPR.
In addition to the declaration of performance model, Annex III also contains “instructions for the preparation of declarations of performance”. The content of the declaration of performance is regulated by Art. 6 EU CPR.

Delegated Regulation (EU) No 574/2014