On 28 June 2018, the European Drinking Water Industrial Alliance (EDW) sent comments to the European Commission highlighting that the draft standardisation mandate under the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) will fall short of the objective to harmonise hygienic rules on materials and products in contact with drinking water.
EDW supports the view that harmonised EU-wide hygienic requirements should be set under a horizontal piece of legislation, such as the Drinking Water Directive (DWD) or - ideally - a new regulation on materials and products in contact with drinking water.
As a next step, fruitful synergies between the Drinking Water Directive (DWD) and the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) should be created. This requires that the harmonised standards developed under the CPR make a reference to the legally binding measures expected under the revised DWD.
As a result, products in contact with drinking water compliant with the EU-wide hygienic requirements set by the DWD could be marketed throughout the EU. Such harmonisation would both safeguard equal drinking water quality for the consumers across Europe and improve the competitiveness and innovation capability of the European industry.