The Construction Products Directive (89/106/EEC - CPD) should have
facilitated putting construction products on any national market
within the European Economic Area. Two decades later, its practical
impact is still relatively weak. By going beyond the scope of most
studies on the implementation of EU legislation at the level of the
practical end-users (architects, civil engineers, construction
companies), this study highlights the fact that the acceptance of
this professional group not only plays a major role in the
practical implementation of this directive, but could also change,
strengthen or neutralise the intentions of policy makers and
administrators at the EU and national level. The book is valuable
reading for practical users of the CPD, researchers in
political/administrative sciences and professionals working in
international institutions and organizations.
1;Contents;6 2;Abbreviations;10 3;1 Introduction: The insiders view;12 4;2 Stayin alive, stayin alive Interaction, problem solving conceptsand European actors;25 4.1;2.1 Organisations, institutions and individual actors;25 4.2;2.2 Organising and stabilising interaction;31 4.3;2.3 European and national actors;39 4.3.1;2.3.1 The EU level and the European Commission as a communication andbargaining system;39 4.3.2;2.3.2 The Commission as an actor in its own role;40 4.3.3;2.3.3 Member State authorities the national/transnational actors;44 4.3.4;2.3.4 Federations57 industrys early-warning system;53 4.3.5;2.3.5 Technical specification writers the Men in Black?;59 4.4;2.4 After the dust has settled the implementationof EU legislation by national actors;63 4.5;2.5 Knowledge, lack of knowledge, trust;72 5;3 The practical implementation of the CPD;82 5.1;3.1 Researching ones own backyard;82 5.1.1;3.1.1 EU Directives as research topics;82 5.1.2;3.1.2 Research on the CPD from the EU level to the construction-site level;86 5.1.3;3.1.3 Risks and advantages of researching in ones own field of work;90 5.2;3.2 The EU level;95 5.2.1;3.2.1 The European Commission;99 5.2.2;3.2.2 Member States authorities;108 5.2.3;3.2.3 Federations;124 5.2.4;3.2.4 Certification Bodies, Test laboratories the Group of Notified Bodies(GNB);128 5.2.5;3.2.5 The technical specification writers (CEN and EOTA);130 5.2.6;3.2.6 Other European bodies;137 5.3;3.3 The assumptions of actors at EU level;139 5.3.1;3.3.1 The European Commission;140 5.3.2;3.3.2 MS authorities;149 5.3.3;3.3.3 Federations;159 5.3.4;3.3.4 Certification Bodies (Notified Bodies) the Group of Notified Bodies (GNB);171 5.3.5;3.3.5 The technical specification writers (CEN and EOTA);174 5.4;3.4 Conclusions at EU level;184 5.4.1;3.4.1 Working at EU level: The power of the few ;184 5.4.2;3.4.2 the real input of the few ;191 5.4.3;3.4.3 and the output;197 5.5;3.5 The national level;205 5.5.1;3.5.1 Member State authorities;209 5.5.2;3.5.2 Federations;220 5.5.3;3.5.3 The technical specification writers;230 5.5.4;3.5.4 Notified Bodies;234 5.5.5;3.5.5 Other national bodies;235 5.6;3.6 The assumptions of actors at national level;236 5.6.1;3.6.1 Member State (national and regional) authorities;237 5.6.2;3.6.2 Federations/ standardisation work;246 5.6.3;3.6.3 Certification Bodies/Notified Bodies;267 5.7;3.7 Conclusion at national level;270 5.7.1;3.7.1 and still: the power of the few?;272 5.7.2;3.7.2 the real input of the few ;275 5.7.3;3.7.3 and the output;279 5.7.4;3.7.4 Technical standards, CE marking and other marks: marketinstruments or practical instruments for the construction sector?;281 5.7.5;3.7.5 National approaches;285 5.7.6;3.7.6 Trust at national level?;288 5.8;3.8 The construction site level;290 5.9;3.9 The assumption of actors at the construction site level;297 5.9.1;3.9.1 Manufacturers;298 5.9.2;3.9.2 Distributors;300 5.9.3;3.9.3 Architects/designers;302 5.9.4;3.9.4 Contractors/construction companies;304 5.9.5;3.9.5 www.CE The invisible actor on the construction site level;307 5.10;3.10 Conclusion construction site level;308 6;4 Conclusion: Lessons to be learned?;311 6.1;4.1 I had a dream ;312 6.2;4.2 Brussels setting the stage;315 6.3;4.3 The information flow to (and from) national actors setting the national level;323 6.4;4.4 The construction site level The quest for the missing link;326 6.5;4.5 Good news and bad news for Eurosceptics ;336 6.6;4.6 and Europhiles;338 6.7;4.7 Research on European Directives Gaps and future fields of research?;340 6.8;4.8 Here is my brilliant plan! You work out the details!;343 7;5 Bibliography;361
