2000/553/EC: Commission Decision of 6 September 2000 implementing Council Directive 89/106/EEC as regards the external fire performance of roof coverings (notified under document number C(2000) 2266) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2000-09-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: approximation of laws, construction equipment, fire, product safety

19.9.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 235/19

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 6 September 2000

implementing Council Directive 89/106/EEC as regards the external fire performance of roof
coverings

(notified under document number C(2000) 2266)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/553/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 administrative provisions of the Member States relating to construction products (1), as
amended by Directive 93/68/EEC (2), and in particular Articles 13 and 20 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

In accordance with Directive 89/106/EEC Member States are responsible for ensuring that building
and civil engineering works on their territory are designed and executed in a way that does not
endanger the safety of persons, domestic animals and property, while respecting other essential
requirements in the interests of general well-being.

Provisions relating to the design and execution of roof assemblies consequently fall within the
responsibility of the Member States.

The Communication of the Commission with regard to the interpretative documents of Directive
89/106/EEC (3) lists, in paragraph 2.2 of the interpretative document No 2, a number of interrelated
measures for the satisfaction of the Essential Requirement ‘Safety in case of fire’ that together
contribute to defining the fire safety strategy that can be developed in different ways in Member
States.

Paragraph 4.3.1.2.2 of interpretative document No 2 identifies the requirements for construction
products for roofs exposed to an external fire.

Commission Decisions 98/436/EC (4), 98/599/EC (5), 98/600/EC (6), 1999/90/EC (7), 2000/245/EC (8)
and 2000/553/EC on the attestation of conformity of construction products for roof coverings that
may be exposed to an external fire source provide that certain products/materials can be ‘deemed to
satisfy’ the requirements for the characteristic ‘external fire performance’ without the need for testing.

(1) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 12.
(2) OJ L 220, 30.8.1993, p. 1.
(3) OJ C 62, 28.2.1994, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 194, 10.7.1998, p. 30.
(5) OJ L 287, 24.10.1998, p. 30.
(6) OJ L 287, 24.10.1998, p. 35.
(7) OJ L 29, 3.2.1999, p. 38.
(8) OJ L 77, 28.3.2000, p. 13.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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(6)

(7)

The external fire performance of many roof covering products/materials is well established and
sufficiently well known to fire regulators in the Member States that they do not require testing for
this particular performance characteristic.

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 Annex sets out those roof covering products and/or materials which can be considered to fulfil all of
the requirements for the performance characteristic ‘external fire performance’ without the need for testing,
subject to compliance with any national provisions on the design and execution of works.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 6 September 2000.

For the Commission

Erkki LIIKANEN

Member of the Commission

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 235/21

General conditions

ANNEX

The term roof covering is used to describe the product which constitutes the top layer of the roof assembly.

The provisions are concerned with the performance of roof coverings when exposed to fire from the outside (usually
referred to as the performance characteristic ‘external fire performance’).

The criteria related to external fire performance of roof coverings, which the products/materials in the following table are
considered to be capable of satisfying, subject to the proper design and execution of the roof assembly, without the need
for testing are: fire penetration, fire spread across the external surface of the roof, fire spread within the roof assembly and
production of flaming droplets or particles.

The roof covering products/materials referred to in the table below shall comply with the relevant technical specification
(harmonised European standard or European technical approval).

The roof covering products/materials listed must be used in accordance with national provisions on the design and
execution of works, particularly in relation to the composition and reaction to fire performance of adjacent layers and
other products within the roof assembly. Member States may request tests to demonstrate such compliance if the
products/materials are used in configurations not recognised as satisfying those national provisions (1).

The specific conditions set out in the table do not prevent the Member States from accepting the placing on the market
and use, without testing, of the relevant products/materials under less stringent conditions.

Symbols

PCS: gross calorific value

TABLE

Roof covering products (and/or materials) which can be considered to fulfil all of the requirements for the
performance characteristic ‘external fire performance’ without the need for testing, subject to any national
provisions on the design and execution of works being fulfilled

Roof covering product/material

Specific conditions

Slates: natural slates, stone slates

Satisfies the provisions of Commission Decision 96/
603/EC

Tiles: stone, concrete, clay, ceramic or steel roof tiles

Fibre reinforced cement:

— Flat and profiled sheets
— Slates

Satisfies the provisions of Commission Decision 96/
603/EC
Any external coating shall be inorganic or have a PCS
≤ 4,0 MJ/m2 or a mass ≤ 200 g/m2

Satisfies the provisions of Commission Decision 96/
603/EC or has a PCS ≤ 3,0 MJ/kg

Profiled metal sheets: aluminium, aluminium alloy, copper,
copper alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, uncoated steel, stainless
steel, galvanised steel, coil coated steel, vitreous enamel
steel

Thickness ≥ 0,4 mm
Any external coating shall be inorganic or have a PCS
≤ 4,0 MJ/m2 or a mass ≤ 200 g/m2

Flat metal sheets: aluminium, aluminium alloy, copper,
copper alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, uncoated steel, stainless
steel, galvanised steel, coil coated steel, vitreous enamel
steel

Thickness ≥ 0,4 mm
Any external coating shall be inorganic or have a PCS
≤ 4,0 MJ/m2 or a mass ≤ 200 g/m2

(1) For example, it is known that some Member States require a non-combustible underlayer of a certain thickness to prevent direct
contact of metal sheets with the supporting structure. Metal sheets in the following table that are intended to be used in these
countries with other types of underlayer will require testing to demonstrate compliance with national provisions on the design and
execution of works.

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Roof covering product/material

Specific conditions

Products intended to be fully covered in normal usage
inorganic coverings listed to the right)

(by the

Loose laid gravel with a thickness of at least 50 mm or a
mass ≥ 80 kg/m2
size 4 mm,
maximum 32 mm)
Sand/cement screed to a thickness of at least 30 mm
Cast stone or mineral slabs of at least 40 mm thickness

(minimum aggregate