CPR Regulations

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Construction Products Regulation (CPR) – new requirements for cables

The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is the REGULATION (EU) No. 305/2011 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 9 March 2011 related to the construction products and repealing Council Directive 89/106/EEC (Construction Product Directive). The regulation classifies construction products and lays down the rules regarding testing of said products. The Regulation entered into force on July 1, 2013.

What is the EN 50575 Standard?

The EN 50575 standard is the harmonized European standard under CPR that specifically governs the fire performance of cables. It outlines test methods and classification criteria for assessing a cable’s reaction to fire, including flame spread, heat release, smoke production, flaming droplets, and acidity of gases emitted during combustion. Cables are classified into seven Euroclasses (Aca to Fca), with Aca representing non-combustible cables and Fca indicating no performance determined.

Power
Cables

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Isolated conductors and electric cables used e.g. for the supply of electricity.

Control and
Communication Cables

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Isolated conductors, symmetrical and coaxial cables with metallic conductors used e.g. in telecommunications systems, for data transmission, for distribution of TV and radio signals in RF networks, in signalling and control systems.

Fiber-Optic
Cables

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Used e.g. in telecommunications systems, for data transmission, for distribution of TV and radio signals in RF networks, in signalling and control systems.

Enhanced
Fire Safety

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Cables are critical components in buildings, running through walls, ceilings, and floors. Poorly performing cables can accelerate fire spread, produce toxic smoke, or release burning droplets, endangering lives and property. CPR and EN 50575 ensure cables are tested and classified to minimize these risks, improving safety in environments like homes, offices, hospitals, and tunnels.

Unified Standards
Across Europe

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CPR establishes a common technical language for assessing cable performance, enabling architects, engineers, and installers to select appropriate cables for specific applications. This harmonization simplifies compliance across EU countries, ensuring consistency and reliability.

Mandatory CE Marking and Documentation

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Cables compliant with EN 50575 must carry a CE marking and be accompanied by a Declaration of Performance (DoP), which details the cable’s fire performance class and other critical characteristics. This ensures traceability and accountability, helping specifiers choose cables that meet safety and contractual requirements.

Risk-Based
Classification

___________

The Euroclasses (Aca to Fca) allow for tailored cable selection based on the fire risk of a building. For example:B1ca, B2ca, Cca: Suitable for high-risk areas like hospitals or high-rise buildings due to low flame spread and smoke production. Dca, Eca: Appropriate for lower-risk settings, such as small residential buildings. Fca: Indicates cables that do not meet higher performance criteria and are typically unsuitable for critical applications.

Life Saving
Potential

___________

By prioritizing low-smoke, low-toxicity cables (e.g., Low Smoke Zero Halogen, or LSZH), CPR compliance reduces smoke and harmful gas emissions during a fire, improving visibility and breathing conditions for evacuation and rescue operations.

According to CPR and the EN50575 standard there are seven Euroclasses classifying the reaction of cables to fire

Aca, B1ca, B2ca, Cca, Dca, Eca, Fca along with additional criteria characterizing smoke production, occurrence of flaming droplets/particles and acidity of combustion and thermal decomposition products. Aca class defines nonflammable cables (no reaction), whereas Fca class contains cables not fulfilling Eca class requirements (i.e. with undetermined performance). Additional classification includes:

s1, s2 – smoke production
d1, d2 – occurrence of flaming droplets/particles
a1 – acidity.

Euroclass	Test methods	Additional classification	Examples of products
Aca	EN ISO 1716	-	halogen-free cables
B1ca	EN 50399 EN 60332-1-2	smoke production (s1, s2), flaming droplets/particles (d1,d2) and acidity (a1)	halogen-free cables
B2ca	EN 50399 EN 60332-1-2	smoke production (s1, s2), flaming droplets/particles (d1,d2) and acidity (a1)	hard PVC and halogen-free cables
Cca	EN 50399 EN 60332-1-2	smoke production (s1, s2), flaming droplets/particles (d1,d2) and acidity (a1)	halogen-free cables
Dca	EN 50399 EN 60332-1-2	smoke production (s1, s2), flaming droplets/particles (d1,d2) and acidity (a1)	high-quality PVC cables
Eca	EN 60332-1-2	no requirements	PVC cables
Fca	Not fulfilling requirements for Eca	no requirements	PE and PVC cables

The requirements for using cables with a specific reaction to fire class in a given type of building should result from a risk analysis performed by the installation designer or from other national formal and legal documents. The CPR Directive does not impose the requirements on EU member states regarding building types and associated cables with specific reaction to fire reaction classes.

With the introduction of the European classes of reaction to fire, designers and architects have clear regulations regarding the use of the appropriate type of cables. In order to achieve a higher level of fire safety, cable manufacturers recommend the use of B2CA cables in special-purpose buildings which have to meet very high safety requirements (e.g. in hospitals, nurseries, high-rise buildings, office buildings, and nursing homes).