As the European Union accelerates its Green Deal and circular economy ambitions, the construction sector faces increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and improve transparency. In December 2024, the European Council adopted the revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR) — a key framework that standardises how construction products are tested, certified, and placed on the EU market.
The CPR, which entered into force on 7 January 2025, introduces harmonised environmental requirements, including Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and expanded reporting on climate-related indicators. For manufacturers, suppliers, and sustainability professionals, understanding the CPR is essential for maintaining EU market access and aligning with emerging carbon reporting frameworks.
What is the Construction Products Regulation (CPR)?
The EU Construction Products Regulation is a core piece of legislation that defines the rules for marketing construction products within the EU Single Market. It ensures that materials such as concrete, steel, insulation, and adhesives meet consistent safety, performance, and environmental criteria.
Originally introduced in 2011, the CPR’s goal was to harmonise testing and certification across Member States. The 2024 revision reflects Europe’s sustainability agenda, introducing data-driven standards and environmental accountability throughout the construction value chain.
What changed in the 2024 update?
The revised CPR represents one of the most significant regulatory shifts for the construction industry in over a decade. Key updates include:
1. Digital Product Passports (DPPs)
The DPP is a digital record that consolidates a product’s technical and environmental information. It will be mandatory for priority product categories, allowing authorities, architects, and contractors to verify data and ensure traceability.
DPPs support integration with Building Information Modelling (BIM) systems, creating a link between product-level and building-level environmental performance.
2. Enhanced CE marking
CE marking now goes beyond technical performance. It must reflect verified environmental indicators such as energy consumption and carbon footprint (CO₂e), promoting trust and consistency across markets.
3. Environmental reporting standards
Manufacturers are required to report climate-related indicators, initially focusing on CO₂ emissions and energy usage. Over time, metrics such as recyclability, resource efficiency, and toxicity will be introduced.
4. Expanded Declaration of Performance (DoP)
The Declaration of Performance, which previously covered only technical data, now includes environmental performance. This ensures that claims of low-carbon or sustainable materials are backed by verified data.
How does the CPR align with other EU sustainability frameworks?
The CPR does not operate in isolation. It supports the broader network of EU sustainability regulations, including:
- The Eco-Design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which promotes circularity and lifecycle transparency.
- The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which links product efficiency to building-level energy performance.
- The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), which encourage consistent climate data across corporate reporting.
By aligning environmental product data with these frameworks, the CPR enables construction manufacturers to demonstrate science-based, comparable emissions data that supports both regulatory compliance and corporate net-zero targets.
What are the core compliance requirements?
The CPR requires all manufacturers selling into the EU to meet specific technical and environmental standards. These include:
Standardised product performance
Manufacturers must comply with harmonised standards, known as hENs (Harmonised European Standards), which define testing methods and essential characteristics for each product category.
Priority categories include high-impact materials such as concrete, steel, and insulation, which together account for a large share of embodied carbon in construction.
Environmental reporting via Digital Product Passports
The Digital Product Passport is central to compliance. It acts as a unified platform for sharing environmental data, verified according to EN 15804, the European standard governing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
EPDs quantify lifecycle environmental impacts and are crucial for credible reporting under ISO 14025 and ISO 14067. Aligning CPR reporting with EN 15804 ensures data consistency across manufacturers and markets.
Expanded Declaration of Performance (DoP)
The updated DoP must include Global Warming Potential (GWP) data and other environmental characteristics, expressed through standardised performance levels or classes.
Manufacturers should regularly review updates to the European Commission’s Construction Products Regulation page for evolving templates and technical guidance.
What is the timeline for CPR implementation?
While the regulation took effect on 7 January 2025, implementation will be phased through 2032. Key milestones include:
- January 2026: First reporting stage, requiring manufacturers to disclose GWP for Annex II (a–d) products.
- January 2030: Expanded scope covering additional environmental indicators (Annex II (e–m)).
- January 2032: Full lifecycle environmental reporting required for all product families (Annex II (a–s)).
Each product family’s obligations will depend on the revision of harmonised standards through the Acquis process, meaning enforcement will gradually expand as standards are updated.
How does the CPR affect non-EU manufacturers?
Manufacturers outside the EU must also comply with CPR standards to maintain market access. Aligning with harmonised EU testing and environmental reporting avoids redundant certification and ensures cross-border recognition.
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the CPR introduces simplified documentation pathways and shared testing data options, verified by Notified Bodies. These mechanisms reduce administrative costs and level the playing field for smaller producers.
How to prepare for CPR compliance
To ensure smooth alignment with the new regulation, manufacturers should:
- Invest in digital readiness – Develop systems for DPP creation and integration with BIM or ERP platforms.
- Standardise data collection – Follow EN 15804 rules for lifecycle data and ensure all environmental indicators are verified.
- Train internal teams – Educate staff on DPP requirements, CE marking updates, and DoP documentation.
- Collaborate across the supply chain – Obtain verified emissions data from suppliers to support transparent lifecycle assessments.
- Engage sustainability partners – Work with credible carbon management providers to manage data quality, verification, and compliance.
The bigger picture: building a data-driven, low-carbon construction industry
The revised CPR marks a turning point in how construction products are assessed and traded. By embedding environmental data into every product placed on the market, the EU aims to make sustainability measurable, verifiable, and comparable across the built environment.
For organisations navigating this transition, the key is credible data and expert guidance. Zevero combines AI-powered carbon accounting with specialist advisory support to help manufacturers collect, verify, and report emissions data aligned with standards like EN 15804, ISO 14067, and PAS 2060. This hybrid approach ensures compliance with evolving EU frameworks, while helping businesses progress towards net-zero construction.
Learn more with Zevero
Zevero’s sustainability experts help manufacturers and suppliers collect, calculate, and verify emissions data to meet evolving EU requirements. Contact our team to discuss how we can support your CPR compliance and carbon reporting strategy.
