European harmonization within the Construction Products Directive, CPD
The Construction Products Direktive (CPD) is one of several directives that will contribute to breaking down the barriers to trade in the European Economic Area (EEA).

The directive with the identification number 89/106/EEC, state that the properties of a product are contributing to 6 basic functional requirements when a building is completed. One of these properties is fire related properties.

The purpose of this directive is that products documented to be in accordance with basic requirements, may be CE marked and with that marketable in all EEA member countries.

Notified body
In order to ensure the CPD requirements, notified bodies are appointed to attest that the requirements are met. In Norway, notified bodies are appointed by the National Office of Building Technology and Administration.

To ensure fair treatment within the EEA member states, an advisory group called Advisory Group of Notified Bodies for the CPD is established. The responsibility of thie group is to co-ordinate the activities of certification body,  inspection body and test laboratories, appointed as notified body.

To enable the European advisory group to deal with every product in the CPD, 22 sector groups are established, hence two horizontal for fire and dangerous substance respectively. The groups shall see to equal approach and practice of the guidelines within the EEA area and give necessary input to the authority in the different countries.

European technical specifications
European technical specifications are the same as harmonized European product standards and European technical approval.

It is the European technical spesifications which is the base when a Declaration of Conformity is issued. Two organizations are working on preparing technical specifications, CEN and EOTA.

CEN, prepare product standards, classification standards and test standards. For fire in buildings, this is gathered in CEN TC 127.

EOTA  (European Organisation for Technical Approval), prepare the European Technical Approval Guidelines (ETAG) which is used to issue a European Technical Approval (ETA).
EOTA will prepare specifications for products which do not have a prepared product standard or if the product is not covered by a standard.

Both organisations get their tasks from the European Commission or from the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).