Product families
The CPR Acquis process identifies and prioritises specific product families based on Annex VII of the CPR-2024 for the development and updating of harmonised technical specifications.
Harmonised standards
Harmonised standards cited under the CPR establish uniform assessment methods for essential characteristics. If a manufacturer’s product is covered by a harmonised standard, they must use it to assess and declare the product's performance. These standards ensure that products are tested only once according to a common European language, facilitating free circulation in the single market.
Harmonised technical specifications
The definition of this term has changed between the CPR-2011 and CPR-2024.
- Under CPR-2011, it refers to both harmonised standards and European Assessment Documents (EADs).
- Under CPR-2024, it includes only mandatory technical specifications, specifically: performance harmonised standards, fall-back implementing acts, and product requirements.
- Under CPR-2024, EADs are no longer considered ‘harmonised technical specifications’, though they remain a route to voluntary CE marking.
See the consolidated list of harmonised European standards under CPR-2011.
These standards will be replaced by performance harmonised standards under CPR-2024 as soon as they are made mandatory by implementing acts in accordance with Article 5(8). The first standards to be made mandatory are probably standards for cement in 2027.
CPR Acquis process to prepare the technical content for new harmonised technical specifications
This process focuses on preparing the technical content for standardisation requests, product requirements, product information, and delegated acts to develop or update harmonised technical specifications. The CPR Acquis Expert Group supports the Commission by incorporating EU countries’ regulatory needs and EU priorities, such as climate and circular economy goals, into these requests. Every three years, the Commission also publishes a working plan for this process that reflects climate and circular economy goals. European stakeholders that would like to contribute to the CPR Acquis process can apply to participate.