Construction products containing hazardous substances will have to be clearly labeled as such, to protect the health and safety of construction workers and users of construction works, under new rules endorsed by the Internal Market Committee on Monday. The plenary vote is scheduled for January 18th.

Voting on Monday, the committee unanimously endorsed an agreement reached with the Council in December on a new European Union (EU) regulation on the marketing of construction products. This agreement enshrines important concessions won by MEPs on the labeling of hazardous substances. The Council took up 60 of 83 amendments tabled by the committee (31 fully and 29 partially or in substance).

Labeling of hazardous substances

Under the new regulation, the “declaration of performance” already required for every construction product will have to include information on hazardous substances, as required by the 2006 REACH Regulation, so as to make the contents clear to all potential users and ensure a high level of protection of health and safety.

In addition, the Commission will draw up a report assessing the specific needs for information on these hazardous substances, and taking account, inter alia, of the need to ensure a high level of protection of the health and safety of workers using construction products and of users of construction works. Its assessment must also have regard to requirements on recycling and/or re-use of parts or materials.  If appropriate, this report is to be followed up by legislative proposals.

Making life simpler for small firms

The regulation is to simplify, update and replace current rules, simplify procedures so as to reduce red tape, especially for micro-enterprises, and ensure transparency. Micro-companies manufacturing construction products may choose to use new simplified performance assessment procedures, provided that they can demonstrate the products’ compliance with requirements by methods equivalent to those laid down in harmonized standards.

The new rules also include an exemption from the declaration of performance requirement for construction products manufactured in a traditional manner or in a manner appropriate to heritage conservation and in a non-industrial process.

Protecting the environment and health

Many other amendments accepted by the Council refer to the need to protect the environment and promote recycling of construction products. They also stipulate that when assessing the performance of a construction product, account must be taken of the health and safety considerations relating to its use throughout its entire life cycle.

“I’m delighted that the construction industry now has a solid, workable regulation for the foreseeable future”, said Parliament’s rapporteur Catherine Stihler (S&D, UK), adding that “I’m confident that the improvements in CE marking, transparency, and rules for smaller companies, whilst retaining the highest standards of safety, will give the construction industry the reassurance it needs in the current economic climate”.

Next steps

The text on the second-reading, co-decision agreement between the Council and the Parliament is scheduled for a plenary vote in Strasbourg on Tuesday, 18 January. After the vote the Council still needs to give its final approval.

The regulation will formally enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. However, many of its provisions will apply only as from July 1st 2013, as a transition period is needed to allow companies time to adjust.

Source: europarl.europa.eu

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