As the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB)  announced in a press release the Federal Government filed a suit against EU commission on April 19, 2017.

Background: high standards of safety, environment and consumer protection for construction products are to be retained.

The lawsuit deals with the latest decision by the European Court on the topic of CE marking of construction products, esp. floor coverings. In the opinion of  the government existing standards jeopardise building safety and certain requirements on environment and health protection.

That is why in 2015 Germany already objected to incompletely harmonised construction products standards. Two objections were rejected by EU commission, those refer to wooden floor coverings and sports flooring: the reason for the suit at the  European Court.

Since the judgement of Oct 16, 2014, manufacturers of floor coverings are not obliged any more to inform in the context of a national technical approval (Ü mark) about the health harmlessness of their product in terms of pollutant and emissions content.

“We hear more and more consumers, planners and other people involved in a building project worring about the gaps of information and the risk of being exposed to higher risks,”

states Daniel Tigges, eco-INSTITUT.

“Responsible manufacturers increasingly now rely on voluntary product certifications and labelling.“

The official release by BMUB can be read here.