After years of consultations the Building Products Act has entered into force as from 24 April 2011. It substitutes the Building Products Guideline 89/106/EWG and brings important changes for manufacturers and further economic actors.
However, the provisions particularly for manufacturers and further economic actors (importers, dealers and authorized representatives) will enter into effect only as from 1 July 2013. Until this date building products can still be marketed on the basis of the Building Products Guideline.
Unlike the Building Products Guideline the Building Products Act defines the term of manufacturer and stipulates the duties of all economic actors involved in the supply and sales chain. According to this, processors, importers or dealers assume the role of a manufacturer when placing a building product on the market under their name or their trademark or when modifying a building product to such an extent that its conformity with the declaration of design and performance is affected. The consequence: they have to fulfil manufacturer’s duties.