Since VOC emissions off construction products may be a relevant cause for indoor air pollution, the Committee for Health-related evaluation of Building Products (AgBB*), having been founded in 1997, worked out testing criteria the AgBB evaluation scheme for VOC emission off construction products has been developed out of. The aim is the support and production of extra low-emission construction products.

This so-called AgBB scheme is reguarly reviewed and edited, the last time in 2012 (further infos).

In 2004, the German Institute for Structural Engineering (DIBt) took the AgBB scheme as basis for developing the "approval principles for health-evaluation of indoor construction products". These are significantly relevant for gaining the U mark within the frame of the national technical approval (abZ).

The AgBB evaluation scheme also complies with the series of standards ISO 16000 being globally relevant for construction products, and so equally corresponds with national requirements (such as those of the Blue Angel or the eco-INSTITUT-Label) and international criteria (such as those of the French AFSSET/ANSES guideline or the French VOC regulation Émissions dans l'air intérieur effective since January 2012).

*The AgBB consists of: the Health Institutes of the Federal States, the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA), The German Institute for Structural Engineering (DIBt), the Conference of the State Ministers and Senators for Town Building, Building and Housing Affairs, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and the 'Co-ordinating Commitee 03 for Hygiene, Health and the Environment' of the Building and Civil Engineering Standards Committee within DIN (DIN-KOA 03).

AgBB evaluation scheme (2012 version)

AgBB evaluation scheme (2010 version)

List of LCI values under review (2010 version)

Committee for Health-related evaluation of Building Products