What is a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and how does it differ from a Declaration of Conformity (DoC)?

The Declaration of Performance (DoP) is the key concept in the recent Construction Products Regulation (CPR) 305/2011. The DoP gives the manufacturer the opportunity to deliver the information about the essential characteristics of his product he wants to deliver to the market.

The manufacturer shall draw up a Declaration of Performance when a product covered by a harmonised standard (hEN) or a European Technical Assessment (ETA) is placed on the market. By drawing up this DoP, the manufacturer assumes the responsibility for the conformity of the construction product with the declared performance.

On the basis of the information contained in the DoP, the user will decide to buy, amongst all the products available on the market, the one which is fit for the use he intends to give to such product and he assumes the full responsibility of such decision.

The DoP constitutes then the key element in the functioning of the Internal Market for construction products by providing it with the necessary transparency and by establishing a clear system of allocation of the responsibilities between actors.

The minimum amount of information that the manufacturer is obliged to provide is innovative compared with the current situation under the Construction Products Directive (CPD): the manufacturer has to declare - the intended use(s) of the product and - at least one of the relevant essential characteristics for each of the declared intended use(s).

The DoP differs from the current DoC in that it clearly expresses the product performance in relation to the essential characteristics defined in the relevant hEN.

The CE marking follows the DoP and means that the manufacturer has strictly followed all the applicable procedures for drawing up his DoP and, consequently, the DoP is accurate and reliable.

A copy of the declaration of performance of the product shall be supplied either in paper form or by electronic means, in the language(s) required by the Member State where the product is made available. The copy of the declaration of performance may be made available on a web site, although conditions for this are still not defined at the time this document is drafted. A paper copy of the declaration of performance shall still be supplied if the recipient requests it.