ASDMA is concerned about the confusion and misinformation that surrounds CE marking. It has therefore spent a considerable amount of time in scrutinising the European Community source core documents, also consulting with the regulatory authorities in the UK and with Trading Standards who are the designated product contact point in the UK for building products under the CPR.
The CE mark for timber doors with fire resistance characteristics is applicable only to doorsets. For the dominant product on the market in the UK – door assemblies – third party product certification still applies and provides significant higher levels of assurance on product performance and fitness for purpose than CE marking. CE marking and third party certification are not alternatives. They are intended to serve different objectives. And they can co-exist with advantage within the limits of those objectives.
A new flow chart, available here comparing the CE marking process and third party certification is available on the ASDMA web site for the information of users, specifiers, designers and the industry at large.
The introduction of the Construction Product Regulation (CPR) from 1 July 2014 is widely spoken of as a major change in the marketing of construction products. And so it is, if the intention is to trade across the market of the European Union. But third party product certification schemes provide additional levels of confidence and assurance in fitness for purpose where fire resistance is concerned.