2000/447/EC: Commission Decision of 13 June 2000 on the procedure for attesting the conformity of construction products pursuant to Article 20(2) of Council Directive 89/106/EEC as regards prefabricated wood-based load-bearing stressed skin panels and self-supporting composite lightweight panels (notified under document number C(2000) 804) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2000-06-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Community certification, EC conformity marking, building materials, product quality, product safety, wood for construction

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COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 13 June 2000

on the procedure for attesting the conformity of construction products pursuant to Article 20(2) of
Council Directive 89/106/EEC as regards prefabricated wood-based load-bearing stressed skin
panels and self-supporting composite lightweight panels

(notified under document number C(2000) 804)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/447/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 89/106/EEC of 21
December 1988 on the approximation of laws, regulations and
the Member States relating to
administrative provisions of
construction products (1),
amended by Directive 93/
68/EEC (2), and in particular Article 13(4) thereof,

as

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

The Commission is required to select, between the two
procedures under Article 13(3) of Directive 89/106/EEC
the ‘least
for attesting the conformity of a product,
onerous possible procedure consistent with safety’, This
means that it is necessary to decide whether, for a given
product or family of products, the existence of a factory
production control system under the responsability of
the manufacturer is a necessary and sufficient condition
for an attestation of conformity, or whether, for reasons
related to compliance with the criteria mentioned in
Article 13(4), the intervention of an approved certi-
fication body is required.

Article 13(4) requires that the procedure thus deter-
mined be indicated in the mandates and in the technical
specifications. Therefore,
it is desirable to define the
concept of products or family of products as used in the
mandates and in the technical specifications.

The two procedures provided for in Article 13(3) are
described in detail in Annex III to Directive 89/106/EEC.
It is necessary therefore to specify clearly the methods
by which the two procedures should be implemented,

(1) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 12.
(2) OJ L 220, 30.8.1993, p. 1.

by reference to Annex III, for each product or family of
products, since Annex III gives preference to certain
systems.

(4)

The procedure referred to in point (a) of Article 13(3)
corresponds to the systems set out in the first possibility,
without continuous surveillance, and the second and
third possibilities of point (ii) of Section 2 of Annex III.
The procedure referred to in point (b) of Article 13(3)
corresponds to the systems set out in point (i) of Annex
III, and in the first possibility, with continuous surveil-
lance, of point (ii) of Section 2 of Annexes III.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in
accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee
on Construction,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The products and families of products set out in Annex I shall
have their conformity attested by a procedure whereby the
manufacturer has under its sole responsibility a factory produc-
tion system ensuring that the product is in conformity with the
relevant technical specifications.

Article 2

The products and families of products set out in Annex II shall
have their conformity attested by a procedure whereby,
in
addition to a factory production control system operated by
the manufacturer, an approved certification body is involved in
assessment and surveillance of the production control or of the
product itself.

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The procedure for attesting conformity as set out in Annex III shall be indicated in the mandates for
guidelines for European technical approval.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 13 June 2000.

For the Commission

Erkki LIIKANEN

Member of the Commission

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Prefabricated wood-based load-bearing stressed skin panels:

ANNEX I

For uses in buildings, except those contributing to the load-bearing capacity of the structure and/or those subject to
reaction to fire regulations for products made of materials falling into classes A (*), B (*), C (*), A
(*).

(*), C

(*), B

FL

FL

FL

Self-supporting composite lightweight panels:

For uses in buildings, except those subject to reaction to fire regulations for products made of materials falling into
classes A (*), B (*), C (*).

Prefabricated wood-based load-bearing stressed skin panels:

ANNEX II

For uses contributing to the load-bearing capacity of the structure of buildings and/or subject to reaction to fire
regulations for products made of materials falling into classes A (*), B (*), C (*), A

(*), C

(*), B

(*).

FL

FL

FL

Self-supporting composite lightweight panels:

For uses in buildings subject to reaction to fire regulations for products made of materials falling into classes A (*),
B (*), C (*).

(*) Materials for which the reaction to fire performance is susceptible to change during production;

(in general, those subject to
chemical modification, e.g. fire retardants, or where changes of composition may lead to changes in reaction to fire performance).

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ANNEX III

Note: for products having more than one of the intended uses specified in the following families, the tasks for the

approved body, derived from the relevant systems of attestation of conformity, are cumulative.

PRODUCT FAMILY

PREFABRICATED WOOD-BASED LOAD-BEARING STRESSED SKIN PANELS AND SELF-SUPPORTING
COMPOSITE LIGHTWEIGHT PANELS (1/6)

Systems of attestation of conformity

For the product(s) and intended use(s) listed below, EOTA is requested to specify the following system(s) of attestation of
conformity in the relevant guidelines for European technical approval:

Product(s)

Intended use(s)

Level(s) or class(es)

Attestation of
conformity system(s)

Prefabricated wood-based load-
bearing stressed skin panels

For uses contributing to the
the
load-bearing capacity of
structure

Self-supporting
lightweight panels

composite

For uses contributing to stiff-
ening the structure

—

—

System 1: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(i), without audit-testing of samples.
System 3: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(ii), second possibility.

1

3

The specification for the system should be such that it can be implemented even where performance does not need to be
determined for a certain characteristic, because at least one Member State has no legal requirement at all for such
characteristic (see Article 2(1) of Directive 89/106/EEC and, where applicable, clause 1.2.3 of the Interpretative Docu-
ments). In those cases, the verification of such a characteristic must not be imposed on the manufacturer if he does not
wish to declare the performance of the product in that respect.

PREFABRICATED WOOD-BASED LOAD-BEARING STRESSED SKIN PANELS AND SELF-SUPPORTING
COMPOSITE LIGHTWEIGHT PANELS (2/6)

PRODUCT FAMILY

Systems of attestation of conformity

For the product(s) and intended use(s) listed below, EOTA is requested to specify the following system(s) of attestation of
conformity in the relevant guidelines for European technical approval:

Product(s)

Intended use(s)

Level(s) or class(es)
(fire resistance)

Attestation of
conformity system(s)

Prefabricated wood-based load-
bearing stressed skin panels

Self-supporting
lightweight panels

composite

For uses subject to resistance to
fire
fire
compartmentation)

regulations

(e.g.

any

3

System 3: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(ii), second possibility

The specification for the system should be such that it can be implemented even where performance does not need to be
determined for a certain characteristic, because at least one Member State has no legal requirement at all for such
characteristic (see Article 2(1) of Directive 89/106/EEC and, where applicable, clause 1.2.3 of the Interpretative Docu-
ments). In those cases, the verification of such a characteristic must not be imposed on the manufacturer if he does not
wish to declare the performance of the product in that respect.

PREFABRICATED WOOD-BASED LOAD-BEARING STRESSED SKIN PANELS AND SELF-SUPPORTING
COMPOSITE LIGHTWEIGHT PANELS (3/6)

PRODUCT FAMILIY

Systems of attestation of conformity

For the product(s) and intended use(s) listed below, EOTA is requested to specify the following system(s) of attestation of
conformity in the relevant guidelines for European technical approval:

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Product(s)

Intended use(s)

Level(s) or class(es)
(reaction to fire)

Attestation of
conformity system(s)

Prefabricated wood-based load-
bearing stressed skin panels

For uses subject to reaction to
fire regulations

A (*), B (*), C (*)

A

FL

(*), B

FL

(*), C

FL

(*)

A (**), B (**), C (**)

A

FL

(**), B

FL

(**), C

FL

(**)

A

FL

A (***), D, E, F
(*), E
(***), D
FL
F
(*)

FL

FL

(*),

Self-supporting
lightweight panels

composite

For uses subject to reaction to
fire regulations

A (*), B (*), C (*)

A (**), B (**), C (**)

A (***), D, E, F

1

3

4

1

3

4

System 1: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(i), without audit-testing of samples.

System 3: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(ii), second possibility.

System 4: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(ii), third possibility.

(*) Materials for which the reaction to fire performance is susceptible to change during production; (in general, those subject to chemical
modification, e.g. fire retardants, or where changes of composition may lead to changes in reaction to fire performance).

(**) Materials for which the reaction to fire performance is not susceptible to change during the production process.

(***) Materials of class A that according to Decision 96/603/EC does not require to be tested for reaction to fire.

The specification for the system should be such that it can be implemented even where performance does not need to be
determined for a certain characteristic, because at least one Member State has no legal requirement at all for such
characteristic (see Article 2(1) of Directive 89/106/EEC and, where applicable, clause 1.2.3 of the Interpretative Docu-
ments). In those cases, the verification of such a characteristic must not be imposed on the manufacturer if he does not
wish to declare the performance of the product in that respect.

PREFABRICATED WOOD-BASED LOAD-BEARING STRESSED SKIN PANELS AND SELF-SUPPORTING
COMPOSITE LIGHTWEIGHT PANELS (4/6)

PRODUCT FAMILY

Systems of attestation of conformity

For the product(s) and intended use(s) listed below, EOTA is requested to specify the following system(s) of attestation of
conformity in the relevant guidelines for European technical approval:

Product(s)

Intended use(s)

Level(s) or class(es)

Attestation of
conformity system(s)

Prefabricated wood-based load-
bearing stressed skin panels
Self-supporting
lightweight panels

composite

For uses subject to external fire
performance regulations

Products
testing

requiring

Products deemed to
satisfy
without
testing (*)

3

4

System 3: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(ii), second possibility.

System 4: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(ii), third possibility.

(*) To be confirmed in discussions with the Fire Regulators Group.

The specification for the system should be such that it can be implemented even where performance does not need to be
determined for a certain characteristic, because at least one Member State has no legal requirement at all for such
characteristic (see Article 2(1) of Directive 89/106/EEC and, where applicable, clause 1.2.3 of the Interpretative Docu-
ments). In those cases, the verification of such a characteristic must not be imposed on the manufacturer if he does not
wish to declare the performance of the product in that respect.

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PREFABRICATED WOOD-BASED LOAD-BEARING STRESSED SKIN PANELS AND SELF-SUPPORTING
COMPOSITE LIGHTWEIGHT PANELS (5/6)

PRODUCT FAMILY

Systems of attestation of conformity

For the product(s) and intended use(s) listed below, EOTA is requested to specify the following system(s) of attestation of
conformity in the relevant guidelines for European technical approval:

Product(s)

Intended use(s)

Level(s) or class(es)

Attestation of
conformity system(s)

Prefabricated wood-based load-
bearing stressed skin panels

For uses subject to regulations
on dangerous substances (*)

—

3

Self-supporting
lightweight panels

composite

System 3: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(ii), second possibility.
(*) In particular, those dangerous substances defined in Council Directive 76/769/EEC, as amended.

The specification for the system should be such that it can be implemented even where performance does not need to be
determined for a certain characteristic, because at least one Member State has no legal requirement at all for such
characteristic (see Article 2(1) of Directive 89/106/EEC and, where applicable, clause 1.2.3 of the Interpretative Docu-
ments). In those cases, the verification of such a characteristic must not be imposed on the manufacturer if he does not
wish to declare the performance of the product in that respect.

PREFABRICATED WOOD-BASED LOAD-BEARING STRESSED SKIN PANELS AND SELF-SUPPORTING
COMPOSITE LIGHTWEIGHT PANELS (6/6)

PRODUCT FAMILY

Systems of attestation of conformity

For the product(s) and intended use(s) listed below, EOTA is requested to specify the following system(s) of attestation of
conformity in the relevant quidelines for European technical approval:

Product(s)

Intended use(s)

Level(s) or class(es)

Attestation of
conformity system(s)

Prefabricated wood-based load-
bearing stressed skin panels

Self-supporting
lightweight panels

composite

For uses other than those speci-
(2/6),
fied in families
(3/6), (4/6) and (5/6)

(1/6),

System 4: see Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex III.2(ii), third possibility.

—

4

The specification for the system should be such that it can be implemented even where performance does not need to be
determined for a certain characteristic, because at least one Member State has no legal requirement at all for such
characteristic (see Article 2(1) of Directive 89/106/EEC and, where applicable, clause 1.2.3 of the Interpretative Docu-
ments). In those cases, the verification of such a characteristic must not be imposed on the manufacturer if he does not
wish to declare the performance of the product in that respect.