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European Assessment Documents and European Technical Assessments

European Assessment Documents and European Technical Assessments

The European Technical Assessment (ETA) is an alternative for construction products not covered by a harmonised standard. It is a document providing information on their performance assessment. The procedure is established in the Construction Products Regulation and offers a way for manufacturers to draw up the Declaration of Performance and affix the CE marking. It contributes to the free movement of construction products and the creation of a strong Single Market.

How the procedure works:

  1. A manufacturer requests the European Technical Assessment for a construction product that is not covered or not fully covered by a harmonised standard. The request is addressed to the Technical Assessment Body for the respective product area – see list of TABs in the NANDO database;
  2. The Technical Assessment Body issues the European Technical Assessment on the basis of a European Assessment Document (EAD) adopted by the European Organisation for Technical Assessment (EOTA);
  3. An updated list of references for the final EADs is published by the Commission in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The main content of the European Technical Assessment is information on the intended use and performance of a product.

The European Assessment Document

The European Assessment Document (EAD) is a harmonised technical specification for construction products. It is developed by the European Organisation for Technical Assessment (EOTA) for cases where a product is not fully covered by harmonised European standards. EADs are the basis for issuing European Technical Assessments. The document contains:

  • a general description of the construction product;
  • the list of essential characteristics agreed between the manufacturer and EOTA;
  • the methods and criteria for assessing the performance of the product in relation to these essential characteristics;
  • principles for factory production control to be applied.

Technical Assessment Bodies:

Technical Assessment Bodies (TABs) assess construction products on the base of European Assessment Documents. These bodies are designated by EU countries according to national procedures. A list of Technical Assessment Bodies including their respective product areas is available in the NANDO-CPR database.

The European organisation for Technical Assessment

To facilitate the co-operation of Technical Assessment Bodies, the European Organisation for Technical Assessment was established. The organisation carries out the following tasks:

  • adopts European Assessment Documents (EAD) and ensures that they are publically available;
  • coordinates requests for the European Technical Assessment and the procedure adopting a European Assessment Document;
  • organises the coordination of all TABs.