UK broadens CE route for construction products in 2026

From 8 January 2026, Great Britain will allow CE‑marked construction products that comply with the EU’s revised rules to count towards GB legal duties. In practice, if a product follows Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, that route can be used to meet the “retained EU law” obligations that sit in GB law. The timing aligns with when most of the EU regulation begins to apply.

Here’s the simple story you can teach and use on site. The UK has not created a separate testing regime in this instrument. Instead, it updates references so that compliance shown under the new EU Construction Products Regulation can stand in for the familiar GB requirements. That means fewer awkward duplications when a product is already CE‑marked to the updated EU rulebook.

Who this touches day to day: manufacturers drawing up conformity paperwork, importers bringing products into GB, and distributors making products available. If you are in one of these roles, the law now recognises two EU routes side by side. You can meet GB duties by following the older Regulation (EU) 305/2011 process, or by using the new Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 process where it applies to your product.

Paperwork to expect and recognise. Under the new EU rules, manufacturers issue a Declaration of Performance and Conformity (DoPC). It replaces the old Declaration of Performance (DoP) and covers technical performance plus safety and environmental information. If a manufacturer provides a DoPC in line with Articles 13 and 15, that document can underpin the CE‑marked route relied on in GB.

A quick note on CE and UKCA, because students and site teams still ask. CE‑marked products continue to be accepted in Great Britain. Government set out in September 2024 that any future change to CE recognition would come with at least two years’ notice, and UKCA remains valid. So, for now, CE or UKCA can both sit in your procurement file, provided the rest of the paperwork stacks up.

What market surveillance looks for. The UK regulator (OPSS) already oversees construction products and has powers under the Construction Products Regulations 2013. With this update, if you rely on the EU 2024/3110 route, you should expect the same checks: clear product information, a working technical file, and cooperation with requests. The headline for students is straightforward-if you claim compliance, be ready to show it.

Dates to circle in your course notes. The EU regulation entered into force on 7 January 2025; most of it applies from 8 January 2026. Penalty provisions and extra enforcement around environmental declarations kick in from 8 January 2027. Transitional dates also run further out for assessment documents and full repeal of the old EU CPR. These are useful for planning specifications and library updates.

If you specify or buy across the UK, remember the GB/NI split. Great Britain uses the GB regime and accepts CE‑marked routes as explained here. Northern Ireland continues to follow a subset of EU rules under the Windsor Framework, so products placed on the NI market follow the EU timetable directly. Keep that distinction in your procurement notes.

Mini‑glossary for lessons and toolbox talks. DoP means Declaration of Performance under the old 305/2011 regime; DoPC means Declaration of Performance and Conformity under 2024/3110. AVCP is the assessment and verification of constancy of performance-the system that tells you what level of third‑party involvement is needed. “Economic operator” is a catch‑all term covering manufacturers, importers and distributors. The shift to DoPC is the big label change to remember.

Practical classroom exercise you can turn into site action. Take a common product-say, an insulation board or fire door closer. Ask for the CE mark evidence and the accompanying DoP or DoPC. Check that the declared performance matches the specification, and that contact details and instructions are present. If it’s a DoPC, note the extra sustainability fields introduced by 2024/3110, then file it so your auditor-or a building control officer-can find it fast.

Finally, where this sits in the bigger picture. The government’s 2025 Green Paper signalled wider reform of the construction products regime. This statutory tidy‑up helps you bridge from the old EU CPR to the new one without duplicate testing. Expect more detailed guidance and standard updates over time, but you can teach and work with this CE‑marked route now.