Brussels, 18 January 2011: Glass for Europe welcomes the European Parliament adoption in second reading of a compromise text on the Construction Products Regulation. The package adopted earlier today opens the way for the necessary modernisation of rules governing the CE marking of construction products, including all glass and glazing components of buildings.
‘This is a good compromise, not least because it confirms the primacy of CE marking over other national certifications’ said Bertrand Cazes, Secretary General of Glass for Europe. He added ‘Beyond CE marking, it is the safety and performance of products which are at stake, ultimately meaning green, durable and safe buildings for Europe. The new framework therefore needs to be robust so that products are properly CE marked with little but substantiated exceptions for very small size productions.’
Additional flexibility for companies working with CE marking is also welcome so that procedures do not become cumbersome for producers. For instance, the use of both electronic means and websites for the provision of Declarations of Performance are at last recognized. ‘We could have gone further down the line of cutting red-tape but it will now be the European Commission’s responsibility to clarify some of the points by way of delegated acts’ according to B. Cazes.
Most glass for use in buildings manufactured by glass companies have carried the CE marking since 2007, which represents roughly 100.000 combinations of glass products. Based on this experience, Glass for Europe supported a proposal for a regulation, which would reinforce the credibility and uniform application of CE marking while keeping the system manageable for professionals in charge of its day-to-day application.
Glass for Europe calls on the rapid adoption of the same compromise text by the Council of the EU.
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For more information, please contact:
Bertrand CAZES
info@glassforeurope.com
+ 32 2.538.43.77