CPR Classification System in Structured Cabling

Understanding the CPR Directive in Legal Terms

Regulation (EU) No. 305/2011 (CPR) covers all construction products intended for permanent installation, including cables and wires, in construction works such as residential buildings, public buildings, and civil engineering structures.
As a result of implementing this regulation, cable manufacturers are required to issue a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and to affix the CE marking to products intended for construction works in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) No. 305/2011.

The Regulation officially entered into force on 1 July 2013. However, with regard to fire safety for cables and wires, the directive refers to the harmonised European standard EN 50575:2014, for which the final date of implementation was set as 1 July 2017.

Norma EN 50575
covers power, telecommunications, and signal cables intended for permanent installation in construction works. Based on it, a Polish standard was published on 27 December 2016.

PN‑EN 50575:2015-03P
covers power, control, and telecommunications cables and wires, as well as cables and wires for general applications in construction works with a specified fire performance class.

Cable Requirements under CPR

From 1 July 2017, all installation cables have been classified as construction products subject to relevant regulations. The new requirements oblige manufacturers to prepare and make available a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and to affix the appropriate CE marking to products covered by the standard.
The European standard EN 50575 specifies requirements for performance under fire conditions, as well as test and assessment methods for power, control, and telecommunications cables used in construction works with a defined fire performance class.
Cables and wires covered by this standard are intended for the supply of electricity and telecommunications applications in buildings and other construction works, with the aim of limiting the generation and spread of fire and smoke.

The rules set out in EN 50575 require manufacturers (as well as importers and distributors) to have their products tested by notified certification bodies or laboratories in order to obtain the relevant certificates confirming the fire performance class, and to prepare a Declaration of Performance (DoP) to verify the product’s Euroclass.
The Euroclass system enables the assessment of the reaction to fire of construction products (including ICT and telecommunications cables and wires) and ensures they are classified according to the same principles and criteria across Europe.

The CPR Directive, in accordance with EN 50575, defines seven Euroclasses that classify cables and wires based on their reaction to fire: Aca, B1ca, B2ca, Cca, Dca, Eca, and Fca, along with additional criteria covering smoke emission, flaming droplets, and the acidity of combustion and thermal decomposition products.
Class Aca defines “non-combustible cables,” while class Fca includes cables and wires that do not meet the requirements of class Eca.
With currently available materials, cables can typically achieve reaction-to-fire performance ranging from class Fca (the lowest) up to B2ca (the highest commonly attainable level).

System 1+

• Classification into classes Aca, B1ca, B2ca, and Cca is carried out by a notified certification body through testing of cables, as well as audits of the manufacturing process and factory production control.

System 3

• Classification into classes Eca and Dca is carried out by the manufacturer based on tests performed by a notified laboratory.

System 4

• Classification into class Fca is carried out by the manufacturer by declaring that the cables do not meet the requirements of any other reaction-to-fire class.

Declaration of Performance (DoP) for Cable Products

Content requirements for the Declaration of Performance (DoP):

• document number assigned by the manufacturer,
• cable manufacturer’s name,
• system under which the cable is classified,
• full CPR classification of the cable,
• reference number of the harmonised standard,
• identification number of the certification body,
• date and place, along with the signature of the authorised person,
• declaration of responsibility in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 305/2011,

Labelling of Cable Products

Required information on the label:

• CE marking with the last two digits of the year in which the cable was manufactured,
• cable manufacturer’s name,
• DoP number,
• full CPR classification of the cable,
• reference to the harmonised standard,
• identification number of the notified body,