The construction sector in Europe is entering a new regulatory phase. The new Construction Products Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, redefines how products must be designed, manufactured and marketed, but above all it introduces something deeper: the obligation to work with structured data, including environmental data.
Although its rollout will be gradual, 2026 marks the start of its general application. And with it, the shift from theory to practice.
What is the Construction Products Regulation
The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) sets the rules for marketing construction products in the European Union under CE marking. Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 repeals and replaces the former Regulation (EU) 305/2011.
What it regulates
It defines how products must be:
- Designed
- Manufactured
- Assessed for performance
- Declared and marketed
It is no longer limited to product safety or how a product performs. The new approach increasingly incorporates sustainability and data management.
Who it affects
It impacts the entire value chain:
- Manufacturers
- Importers
- Distributors
- Companies that specify or select products
From when
- Adoption: 27 November 2024 (published in the OJEU on 18 December 2024)
- Entry into force: 7 January 2025 (with early application of some articles)
- General application: 8 January 2026
- Progressive rollout: between 2026 and 2032
What changes in practice: from regulation to implementation plan
The main novelty is not just the content of the regulation, but that its application is organised through a multi-annual work plan that defines how it will be rolled out. This introduces three key changes for companies:
1. The regulation will be applied by product families
The rollout will not be uniform; it is organised by product families such as:
- Cement
- Insulation
- Windows and doors
- Glass
- Prefabricated elements
Each will have its own timeline, technical standards and requirements. Until the harmonised standards for each family are published, those products continue to be governed by the previous framework.
2. There will be a continuous regulatory wave over several years
The plan sets specific dates for the development of standards and their mandatory application.
- First impacts: 2025-2026
- New requirements: 2027-2028
- Progressive consolidation up to 2032
3. Sustainability is integrated through technical standards
The regulation does not impose carbon footprint reporting all at once; what it does is:
- Integrate environmental characteristics as part of the product
- Define common methodologies
- Introduce them progressively into harmonised standards
This includes:
- Global warming potential (carbon footprint)
- Life cycle data
- Circularity information
In addition, the European Commission is developing European reference datasets to calculate these impacts. In other words, companies will not only have to report, but to do so using a common methodology.
What the Construction Products Regulation means for companies
The new regulation does not introduce a single obligation, but a structural change in how product information is managed.
1. A more demanding declaration of performance
Companies must continue to issue the product declaration, which under the new regulation is renamed the Declaration of Performance and Conformity (DoPC) and includes:
- Technical characteristics such as strength or durability
- The intended use of the product
What is new is clear:
- Environmental information is reinforced
- It aligns with frameworks such as the EU Taxonomy and ESG reporting
2. The product gains an environmental identity
The regulation promotes the incorporation of:
- Life cycle data (LCA)
- Product carbon footprint
- Information on reuse, recyclability and recycled content
In practice, this means that companies need traceable, verifiable and structured data, not general estimates.
3. Digitalisation of product information
One of the most relevant changes is the way information is managed. It promotes:
- The digital product passport
- Access to information in digital format
- Interoperable systems
The specific obligation of the digital product passport for construction products will be triggered when the Commission adopts the corresponding delegated acts, with a subsequent adaptation period. By then, the data will have to be comparable, updatable and integrable across different systems. You can go deeper in our guide on the Digital Product Passport (DPP).
4. More responsibility across the value chain
The regulation extends obligations beyond the manufacturer:
- Importers and distributors must also ensure conformity
- Traceability and documentation requirements are strengthened
This requires greater control over suppliers and more transparency in the supply chain.
5. A stronger CE marking
CE marking remains the central element, but with changes:
- Stricter verification requirements
- Greater market surveillance
- Less room for poorly supported claims
What it really means in practice
Until now, many organizations have worked with just enough information to comply: some technical data, well-prepared documentation, and that was it. The problem is that this model is no longer enough. From now on, it is not just about declaring information, you have to be able to sustain it over time, update it and, above all, connect it.
Because the data the regulation requires does not live in a single place. It is spread across production, procurement, sustainability and quality. And when the time comes to respond to a requirement, the usual thing is to start searching for it, rebuilding it or, simply, estimating it.
The relationship with the product also changes. Before, it was enough to know that it complied. Now you have to explain how it performs, what impact it has and where that data comes from. And that demands a level of traceability that many companies have not yet resolved.
That is why the real impact of the regulation is not so much a specific new obligation as something more transversal: the way companies manage their information. Those who manage to have that control will be able to adapt without friction.
How to adapt to the regulation without turning it into an operational problem
When all this is brought down to the reality of a company, the challenge stops being about understanding the rule and becomes much more concrete: how to organise, maintain and use all that information without each regulatory change meaning starting from scratch.
The problem is usually not a lack of data, but that it is scattered, in different formats and without a structure that allows it to be worked with quickly. And when new requirements arrive, the effort multiplies. Centralising product information, connecting data that today is separate and automating the calculation of environmental indicators is what allows compliance not to depend on redoing the work every time.
In a scenario where requirements will grow in phases, having this base well built makes the difference: not only to comply, but to do so with the capacity to adapt. If your company manufactures or markets materials, a product carbon footprint calculation tool can help you structure that environmental data from the outset.
Frequently asked questions about the Construction Products Regulation
What does the Construction Products Regulation regulate?
It establishes how construction products must be designed, manufactured, assessed and marketed in the European Union, including the information they must declare.
When does the new CPR start to apply?
Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 entered into force on 7 January 2025 and its general application begins on 8 January 2026, with a progressive rollout up to 2032.
Will it be mandatory to declare the carbon footprint?
Not immediately in all cases, but the regulation introduces the framework for this information to become mandatory progressively through the harmonised standards.
What changes compared to the previous regulation (Regulation 305/2011)?
Information requirements are expanded, environmental criteria are incorporated, the declaration is renamed the DoPC and the digitalisation of product data is promoted.
Which companies does the Construction Products Regulation affect?
Mainly manufacturers, importers and distributors of construction products, although it also impacts other actors in the chain.
What should companies do now?
Start preparing their data: identify what information they have, structure it correctly and ensure they can meet the future requirements.
