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Working plan and preparatory phase for the development of harmonised technical specifications

1. The Commission shall be supported by an expert group (‘the Construction Products Regulation Acquis Expert Group’ or ‘CPR Acquis Expert Group’). The CPR Acquis Expert Group shall be composed at least of experts designated by the Member States, representatives of European standardisation organisations and of relevant European stakeholder organisations receiving Union financing under Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. The CPR Acquis Expert Group shall support the Commission in processing Member States’ requests for Union harmonisation through harmonised technical specifications. In particular, the CPR Acquis Expert Group shall assist the Commission in establishing and updating a working plan for the development of harmonised technical specifications, in preparing the technical content related to harmonised technical specifications, in deciding on the need to launch the procedures in relation to harmonised technical specifications that present deficiencies, are unavailable, or not able to cover immediate regulatory needs, and in determining the inclusion of used products in harmonised technical specifications.

2. After consulting the CPR Acquis Expert Group, the Commission shall establish a working plan for the development of harmonised technical specifications for product families listed in Annex VII, including product requirements as well as general product information, instructions for use and safety information, covering at least the following three-year period. The Commission shall set the priorities of the working plan using a transparent and balanced methodology, which shall be published together with the working plan. That methodology shall at least reflect the regulatory needs of the Member States, the safety issues related to construction works and products and the climate and circular economy goals of the Union. The Commission shall publish the first working plan no later than 8 January 2026. The Commission shall renew and update the working plan at least every three years. It shall publish the working plan for the following three-year period one year before the expiration of the working plan in force. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Member States annually about progress in implementing the working plan. If the Commission considers that it cannot achieve the goals set out in the working plan, it shall amend it accordingly without undue delay, and shall inform the European Parliament and the Member States about the reasons thereof.

3. Following the working plan established under paragraph 2, Member States shall communicate to the Commission and the CPR Acquis Expert Group the essential characteristics they require for a product family or product category, and the assessment methods, threshold levels or classes of performance, as well as the product requirements, that they deem necessary. When Member States communicate their regulatory needs to the Commission pursuant to the first subparagraph, the Commission shall integrate them or shall provide a statement of reasons why it is not possible to do so.

4. On the basis of the basic requirements for construction works set out in Annex I and taking into account the regulatory needs communicated by Member States in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article, as well as the safety, environmental, circularity and climate objectives of the Union, the Commission, with the support of the CPR Acquis Expert Group, shall identify the technical aspects needed to prepare standardisation requests, including the relevant essential characteristics. Those essential characteristics and the list of predetermined environmental essential characteristics set out in Annex II shall constitute the basis for the preparation of the standardisation requests referred to in Article 5(2) and of the implementing acts referred to in Article 6(1).

5. The Commission shall ensure that essential characteristics are covered by harmonised technical specifications to the extent that the development of such specifications is technically and economically proportionate.

6. The Commission, with the support of the CPR Acquis Expert Group, shall identify the product requirements referred to in Article 7, as well as other harmonised technical specifications, and shall determine whether used products are to be covered by or excluded from a standardisation request or a harmonised technical specification. The CPR Acquis Expert Group shall, as a matter of urgency, be consulted on notifications from Member States made in accordance with Article 11(5).

7. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend:

(a) the list of predetermined environmental essential characteristics set out in Annex II in order to adapt it to technical progress and new environmental risks and to comply with the priorities established pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article based on the regulatory needs of the Member States;

(b) the product families listed in Annex VII, to adapt them to technical progress and to the regulatory needs of the Member States.