Vocational schools could involve in testing construction products for compliance with Regulation 305

Starting from January 2023, manufacturers of construction products should make a declaration of performance under Regulation (EU) No 305/2011. And in July 2023, the USAID Economic Support to Ukraine Project, the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine (CBU), and the State Inspectorate of Architecture and Urban Development (DIAM) discussed the challenges of implementing EU Regulation 305.

The study by the USAID Project has shown 90% of the construction materials needed to rebuild Ukraine can be produced by Ukrainian construction companies. And, as noted by Project expert Brian Milakowski, the reconstruction will be carried out largely at the expense of foreign donors. And tenders will have requirements for compliance with European standards. Therefore, Ukrainian producers of construction products need to prepare for this in order to be competitive.

Among the major problems, the representatives of the DIAM highlighted:

• Lack of sufficient laboratories and equipment for testing for compliance with European standards.
• Lack of practical experience of Ukrainian specialists in conducting research.
• Lack of open access to European standards.

We are talking about 533 standards. They are intellectual property, so access to most of them is paid.

USAID will consider setting up laboratories on the basis of Ukrainian professional schools. Ukraine is also actively working to upgrade the skills of vocational schools in line with market requirements. For example, a new programme has been introduced for window and door installers. And 346 vocational students have been practising their practical skills in energy-efficient construction.

For reference.
A declaration based on Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 certifies that products meet the established quality, safety and environmental requirements. The requirements apply to the properties of the product, not to its components, OKNA.ua clarifies.