What is the motivation?

The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) has been revised and applies to construction products covered by the revised harmonised standards.

This also applies to RRS (Road Restraint Systems), as these are considered construction products. Consequently, the harmonised standard EN 1317-5 and, by extension, all associated standards (other parts of EN 1317) must be revised and adapted to the new Construction Products Regulation. Currently, the standard EN 1317-5 sets out the requirements for RRS.

The revision of the CPR necessitates a revision of EN 1317-5. It goes even further back to basics: before a standard can be revised, the standardisation request (formerly known as a ‘mandate’) must be adopted and the mandate withdrawn. This takes place as part of the CPR acquis process. This process determines which characteristics are to be included in the standard; ultimately, this means what information EN 1317-5 (and related standards) provides for the design and tendering of road traffic safety systems (RRS), as well as which test methods must be carried out and which performance characteristics must be specified. 

In addition to the measurement of performance characteristics, similar to the current EN 1317, it will then also be possible to provide information in the form of product information or to specify product requirements. Whilst product performance is typically the result of a measurement (e.g. measurements during impact tests), product information or requirements may result from a procedure or a simple statement.

Another aspect is very important in this context: the information provided by a revised harmonised EN 1317 (including product information) and product requirements must be complete; additional national requirements (or tests) are, in principle, not permitted under the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). The current and anticipated national requirements for RRS must therefore be included in the standardisation proposal if they are to be used.