UK to recognise EU construction rules from Jan 2026

From 8 January 2026, the UK changes how construction products can show they meet the rules. Ministers have made the Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations 2025, signed on 6 November 2025 and laid before Parliament on 10 November. The Statutory Instrument is published on legislation.gov.uk and is the legal text we are working from.

Here is the simple idea. If your product already complies with the EU’s framework for construction products, the UK will treat that as meeting UK obligations in defined circumstances. That includes compliance with the long‑running Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 and the newer Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, which replaces it in EU law. The UK rules that reference these are in Articles 16A, 16B and 16C of the 2011 Regulation as it applies here.

Why this matters to you is practical. It reduces double testing and duplicated paperwork when you use an EU route that already checks performance. In short, a CE‑compliant product under EU 305/2011 or a product meeting the updated requirements of EU 2024/3110 can, in set cases, be used to show you have met the UK obligations that would otherwise apply.

The law spells this out by updating definitions and duties. Manufacturers can rely on the EU route if they have done the required assessment and verification, drawn up the correct declaration of performance and conformity under EU 2024/3110, and provide the right accompanying information. Importers and distributors can also rely on those EU duties being met, provided the documentation is in place and accessible.

You will see frequent references to articles in the EU texts because the UK instrument cross‑references them. For example, it recognises declarations made under Articles 13 and 15 of EU 2024/3110 and points to labelling and information duties, including references to Article 22 in that Regulation. It also updates a citation in Article 6 so the right paragraph is used when packaging and paperwork go together.

Enforcement is part of the story. Articles 59A and 59B are updated so Trading Standards and other market surveillance bodies can act if someone claims to rely on the EU route but the documents or checks are missing or wrong. The Construction Products Regulations 2013 are also amended so the UK’s enforcement tools apply when you are using the EU 2024/3110 route to show compliance.

Key dates help you plan. The Regulations were made on 6 November 2025, laid on 10 November 2025, and come into force on 8 January 2026. If you place products on the market, use this period to review your technical files, confirm which route you rely on, and make sure your declarations and labels match the route you choose.

Let’s make this real. Imagine you import ceramic tiles from Spain. If the Spanish manufacturer has completed the applicable EU assessment and verification and issued a declaration of performance and conformity under EU 2024/3110, you can rely on that to meet the UK obligations tied to Articles 16B and 16C-so long as the documentation is available to UK authorities and customers.

Another example. You manufacture timber doors in England and already CE mark them using EU 305/2011 test data. Under these UK changes, continuing to meet that EU route can still satisfy the UK obligations set out in Article 16A. Keep the declaration with the product information, and make sure your pack, label or digital access to documents matches what the law requires.

Quick glossary for the classroom and the site office. CE marking is the EU mark showing a product meets EU rules; in this context, it links to performance verified under EU 305/2011 or 2024/3110. A declaration of performance and conformity is the document where the manufacturer sets out how the product performs against relevant standards and confirms it meets the rulebook it claims to use. Market surveillance means UK authorities checking goods on the market and stepping in if rules are not met. All of this sits under powers in the Building Safety Act 2022 and works by amending Articles 16A–16C and 59A–59B of the 2011 Regulation and the 2013 enforcement rules.

What this means for students and teachers studying standards is straightforward. This is a live example of regulatory alignment: two systems are not identical, but one recognises outputs from the other to cut friction. It shows how law uses definitions, cross‑references and dates to make change orderly, and how traders must translate those references into the documents they carry and the claims they make.