What CPR does—and does not do

CPR provides a harmonised technical language for assessing and communicating product performance. The European Commission describes its purpose as enabling reliable, comparable information for professionals, authorities and consumers. (European Commission CPR overview)

CPR does not, by itself:

• select the required cable class for every building;
• replace national fire-safety and building rules;
• prove network performance such as attenuation or bandwidth;
• prove circuit integrity unless the relevant requirement and classification apply;
• replace project specifications or installation standards.

Member States and project authorities determine what performance is required for a given building and use. The manufacturer declares the product performance under the applicable harmonised framework.

When fibre-optic cable enters the CPR scope

EN 50575:2014+A1:2016 is the harmonised European standard titled “Power, control and communication cables — Cables for general applications in construction works subject to reaction to fire requirements.” Its citation in the Official Journal covers power, control and communication cables, which can include fibre-optic communication cables when their intended use falls within that scope. (Official Journal citation for EN 50575)

The buyer should verify:

• the cable is intended for permanent incorporation into a building or civil-engineering work;
• the installation is subject to reaction-to-fire requirements;
• the product is covered by the cited harmonised standard;
• any exclusions or special-use standards;
• the relevant national and project requirements.

An outdoor cable used only outside a building may have a different compliance pathway from an indoor cable permanently installed along an escape route. An indoor/outdoor cable may need the correct declared performance for the portion installed in the construction work.

Understand the Euroclass format

Communication cables under EN 50575 are commonly declared with a main reaction-to-fire class such as:

• Aca;
• B1ca;
• B2ca;
• Cca;
• Dca;
• Eca;
• Fca.

For applicable classes, additional classifications can address:

• smoke production (s);
• flaming droplets or particles (d);
• acidity and conductivity of combustion gases (a).

A full designation may therefore contain the main class and additional parameters. Do not shorten the required designation in a purchase order if the project specifies smoke, droplet or acidity performance.

The class must be supported by the applicable assessment and verification process. A historic EU decision for power, control and communication cables assigns different conformity-assessment systems according to reaction-to-fire class, with higher classes requiring more extensive third-party involvement. (Commission Decision 2011/284/EU)

Check the Declaration of Performance

The European Commission states that a construction product covered by a harmonised European standard, or with a European Technical Assessment, needs the required declaration and CE marking under the applicable regime. During the current transition, buyers must identify whether the product remains under the 305/2011 route or has moved to the new 2024/3110 route. (European Commission — Declaration of Performance and CE marking)

For an EN 50575 product still operating under the earlier harmonised-standard route, review the DoP for:

• unique product-type identification;
• intended use;
• manufacturer name and contact;
• authorised representative where applicable;
• assessment and verification system;
• harmonised standard reference;
• notified body information where required;
• declared reaction-to-fire performance;
• declared performance for any other applicable essential characteristic;
• authorised signature and issue information.

Match the identifiers to the cable, packaging, reel label, data sheet and purchase order.

Understand the 2026 transition

Regulation (EU) 2024/3110:

• generally applies from 8 January 2026;
• repeals most of Regulation 305/2011 from that date;
• retains specified provisions of the older regulation until 8 January 2040;
• keeps existing harmonised standards under the older regime until withdrawal or repeal;
• introduces a staged move to new harmonised technical specifications by product family.

This means procurement teams should not make either of these blanket statements:

• “Nothing changed in 2026.”
• “Every EN 50575 cable immediately moved to the full new regime in January 2026.”

Instead, record the applicable harmonised standard, its current OJEU status and the resulting declaration/marking route for the product at the date of supply. (Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, Articles 94–96)

Separate reaction to fire from resistance to fire

Reaction to fire describes how a product contributes to fire development, including heat release, smoke, droplets and acidity parameters in the applicable classification system.

Resistance to fire or circuit integrity concerns continued function or performance under fire conditions. It is a different concept with different standards and classifications. A fibre cable declared to an EN 50575 reaction-to-fire class should not automatically be described as fire-resistant or circuit-integrity cable.

In June 2026, the EU published Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/557 defining resistance-to-fire performance classes under the new CPR, including classifications relevant to unprotected communication cables with intrinsic fire resistance. This reinforces the need to keep reaction and resistance claims separate. (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/557)

Build a project document checklist

Before approval, request:

1. product data sheet;
2. Declaration of Performance or Declaration of Performance and Conformity, as applicable;
3. CE-marking information;
4. classification and test/certification evidence required by the assessment system;
5. notified-body details where applicable;
6. cable and reel-marking sample;
7. batch traceability;
8. installation instructions;
9. RoHS and REACH documents if required by the procurement scope;
10. explanation of any product family or variant grouping in the declaration.

Do not accept a certificate for a similar jacket, fibre count or construction without evidence that the exact supplied type is covered.

Inspect the physical delivery

At receiving inspection, compare:

• cable printing and reel label;
• product code and construction;
• CPR class and DoP reference;
• manufacturer and production site information;
• reel and batch number;
• length marking;
• packaging condition;
• document revision.

In April 2026, the European Commission reported that only 36% of a sampled set of 41 installation cables met the checked EU requirements for construction, markings and performance tests. That market-surveillance result is not a failure rate for all European cables, but it demonstrates why buyers should verify markings and evidence rather than rely on a generic compliance statement. (European Commission market-surveillance report)

Frequently asked questions

References

1. European Commission — Construction Products Regulation overview
2. Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 — New Construction Products Regulation
3. Spanish government — Phased transition between the 2011 and 2024 CPRs
4. Official Journal — Citation of EN 50575
5. European Commission — Declaration of Performance and CE marking
6. Commission Decision 2011/284/EU — Assessment systems for power, control and communication cables
7. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/557 — Resistance-to-fire classes
8. European Commission — 2026 installation-cable market-surveillance results