Basic requirements for construction works

The RPC includes the following basic requirements.

Process to be carried out by the supplier for CE marking

There are two procedures, depending on the family of products to which the product that wants to incorporate the CE marking belongs.

The most common products develop harmonized standards in CEN and a system for evaluating and verifying the consistency of performance is directly applied to them, which can be, from highest to lowest requirement, 1+, 1, 2+, 3, 4 (system 2, existing in the DPC, disappears in the RPC). Each system involves procedures to be carried out by the manufacturer to demonstrate that its product complies with the harmonized standard. Depending on the system for evaluating and verifying the consistency of performance, notified bodies such as laboratories and certification bodies participate.

Products not covered by a harmonized standard are eligible for a European Assessment Document issued by a Technical Assessment Body (OET), which consists of a document containing the evaluations and tests carried out.

Once the Declaration of Performance is issued based, if applicable, on the certificates issued by the certification bodies, the manufacturer can affix the CE marking on the product or the accompanying documentation.

Environmental criteria

The RPC includes references to environmental sustainability. A new basic requirement appears on sustainable use of resources, which speaks of durability, reuse and recyclability of construction works and their materials, or the use of secondary materials. These criteria connect with circular economy initiatives. On the other hand, basic requirement 3, which includes the environment, goes from dealing almost exclusively with dangerous substances to covering aspects such as climate change or environmental quality. The RPC therefore represents an advance in the way of considering the environment in construction with respect to the Directive.

Regarding how to carry out environmental evaluations of works, reference is made to the Environmental Product Declarations (EPD):

These Declarations present information based on the life cycle of construction products and services, in accordance with the UNE-EN ISO 14025 and UNE-EN 15804 Standards. In Spain the main program is GlobalEPD, administered by AENOR.

Digital CE marking

Delegated Regulation (EU) 157/2014 allows manufacturers to make their declarations of performance (the information associated with the CE marking) accessible on websites. Currently, PDF is used for this purpose, which reduces costs and reduces the impact associated with the use of paper. However, this PDF format does not allow - in a simple way - to be read by software for use in budgeting or BIM programs.

In order to enable the use of declaration of performance information in a digital format, the Smart CE concept was created. In 2018, the European Committee for Standardization published CWA 17316,[2]​ which defines the XML format for smart CE. In 2020, the Spanish Association for Standardization published Standard UNE 41316,[3]​ which develops this format and introduces requirements and criteria to declare additional information, such as environmental product declarations.

Basic requirements for construction works

The RPC includes the following basic requirements.

Process to be carried out by the supplier for CE marking

There are two procedures, depending on the family of products to which the product that wants to incorporate the CE marking belongs.

The most common products develop harmonized standards in CEN and a system for evaluating and verifying the consistency of performance is directly applied to them, which can be, from highest to lowest requirement, 1+, 1, 2+, 3, 4 (system 2, existing in the DPC, disappears in the RPC). Each system involves procedures to be carried out by the manufacturer to demonstrate that its product complies with the harmonized standard. Depending on the system for evaluating and verifying the consistency of performance, notified bodies such as laboratories and certification bodies participate.

Products not covered by a harmonized standard are eligible for a European Assessment Document issued by a Technical Assessment Body (OET), which consists of a document containing the evaluations and tests carried out.

Once the Declaration of Performance is issued based, if applicable, on the certificates issued by the certification bodies, the manufacturer can affix the CE marking on the product or the accompanying documentation.

Environmental criteria

The RPC includes references to environmental sustainability. A new basic requirement appears on sustainable use of resources, which speaks of durability, reuse and recyclability of construction works and their materials, or the use of secondary materials. These criteria connect with circular economy initiatives. On the other hand, basic requirement 3, which includes the environment, goes from dealing almost exclusively with dangerous substances to covering aspects such as climate change or environmental quality. The RPC therefore represents an advance in the way of considering the environment in construction with respect to the Directive.

Regarding how to carry out environmental evaluations of works, reference is made to the Environmental Product Declarations (EPD):

These Declarations present information based on the life cycle of construction products and services, in accordance with the UNE-EN ISO 14025 and UNE-EN 15804 Standards. In Spain the main program is GlobalEPD, administered by AENOR.

Digital CE marking

Delegated Regulation (EU) 157/2014 allows manufacturers to make their declarations of performance (the information associated with the CE marking) accessible on websites. Currently, PDF is used for this purpose, which reduces costs and reduces the impact associated with the use of paper. However, this PDF format does not allow - in a simple way - to be read by software for use in budgeting or BIM programs.

In order to enable the use of declaration of performance information in a digital format, the Smart CE concept was created. In 2018, the European Committee for Standardization published CWA 17316,[2]​ which defines the XML format for smart CE. In 2020, the Spanish Association for Standardization published Standard UNE 41316,[3]​ which develops this format and introduces requirements and criteria to declare additional information, such as environmental product declarations.