FIS responded on behalf if it’s members to the Government Consultation on their Construction Products Reform Green Paper. This paper details plans to increase the oversight of testing and conformity assessment bodies, third party product certification schemes, the role of the general product safety regulations in governing construction products not covered by an existing designated standard. The paper also consults on the introduction of digital product passports and environmental performance characteristics from the new EU Construction Products Regulations along with a suite of measures to enable reuse of construction products. The FIS gathered views from across our membership profile through our working groups and beyond, and we are incredibly grateful to all those who gave their time and expertise to inform a comprehensive response.
In the FIS response we have highlighted the need to review designer responsibility with producer responsibility to ensure key performance and compliance issues are addressed where interface and compatibility issues are essential to overall building performance. The need to consider future life of materials and ensure regulation does not halt the growing market for product re-use and a more circular approach in its tracks. We have also touched on the need to balance Intellectual Property consideration with transparency and support to ensure that the compliance environment works to encourage innovation and doesn’t create onerous compliance loops that limit opportunities to modernise methods of construction. Availability of Standards and the balance a regulator needs to find with respect to robust enforcement and encouraging “black box thinking”.
Thanks to all members who have shared their views and helped shape our response. If you have additional views, this is not the end of the road an Government have committed to ongoing consultation around the key subjects raised in this Green Paper.
The full text of our response can be found here: