New European Construction Products Regulation: What It Means for the Asphalt Industry
The new European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) represents one of the biggest legislative changes affecting construction products in Europe in recent decades. Designed to modernise the regulatory framework and strengthen sustainability requirements, the Regulation will have a significant impact on manufacturers of bituminous mixtures, binders and other construction products.
While the objectives are ambitious, many questions remain about how the new rules will be implemented and what they will mean for the asphalt industry in practice.
A New Framework with New Challenges
Following years of consultation and negotiation, the new CPR replaced legislation that has remained largely unchanged for many years. Alongside new environmental requirements, it introduced a more flexible system that allows the European Commission to further develop the framework through Delegated and Implementing Acts.
Although intended to modernise the system, the Regulation’s complexity has raised concerns about whether it will deliver the clear and predictable regulatory environment that industry has been seeking.
Standardisation Requests Replace Old Mandates
One of the Regulation’s most important changes is the introduction of Standardisation Requests (SReqs), replacing the long-standing Mandates used for harmonised standards.
Unlike the previous system, the new SReqs are intended to be reviewed every five years, allowing standards to better reflect technological progress and innovation. However, questions remain over whether the European Commission has the resources to maintain this review process across all construction product families.
To develop the first SReqs, the European Commission has launched the so-called CPR Acquis Revision System, in which only a few product families are handled at a time and involving Member States, CEN and other stakeholders representatives. After years of waiting, the system finally reached the Road Materials family (including the bituminous mixtures) in January 2026, when the process was kicked-off.
Greater Focus on Environmental Performance
The new CPR places much greater emphasis on environmental performance.
Manufacturers will gradually be required to declare environmental information, beginning with Global Warming Potential (CO₂-equivalent emissions), followed by additional environmental indicators over the coming years.
To support these requirements, new harmonised standards and Product Category Rules (PCRs) for the Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) of bituminous mixtures still need to be developed. While significant work has already been carried out within CEN technical committees and a few European countries have a national PCR and EPD system in place, achieving the European consensus in the shape of an EN Standard will take time.
Looking Ahead
The new Construction Products Regulation has the potential to modernise European construction product legislation and better support sustainability objectives. At the same time, many aspects of its implementation remain uncertain.
For the asphalt industry, the coming years will be crucial. The development of new standards, environmental reporting requirements and technical specifications will shape how bituminous mixtures will be designed, manufactured and assessed across Europe.
Remaining actively involved in this process will be essential to ensure that future regulation supports both innovation and practical implementation while providing the clarity the industry needs.
Full article is available in the EAPA magazine (56)