Federal Building Minister Barbara Hendricks pledges support to the Länder in implementing the judgement on construction products. "The Federation offers to assist the Länder with its expertise and to initiate the necessary procedures", stated Hendricks at the "Symposium on the EU Construction Products Regulation " which took place today at the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government. On 16 October 2014 the European Court of Justice had ruled that the practices of the German Federal Länder to list additional requirements for CE-marked construction products were illegal under European legislation (Case C-100/13).
Hendricks stressed: "It is clear now that Germany has to do without directly product-related additional requirements and obligatory national approvals. We must closely cooperate with the European Commission in this respect. However, it is as important to insist that the Commission deals speedily with the many deficiencies in the European harmonisation of construction products. For me the most important aspect is to maintain and expand the achievements of safe and sustainable building in Europe and Germany."
The Minister stated that there can be no doubt about Germany’s intention to fully comply with European legislation, adding, however, that it should also be kept in mind that the judgement referred to the old version of the Construction Products Directive (89/106/EEC). To what extent the judgement would also apply to the new Construction Products Regulation which entered into force on 1 July 2013 would have to be examined thoroughly and without haste.
Federal Minister Hendricks offered to continue together with the Länder the dialogue with the European Commission and industry in a constructive way. She also promised a thorough examination into a possible need for action at the federal level. State Secretary Gunther Adler reconfirmed this offer to the Länder at the 126th Conference of Construction Ministers which took place at the same time in Chemnitz.