National standards for the cement sector identical to European ones took effect on July 1, 2016 as part of the implementation of the requirements of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement.
The amendments are outlined in orders of the Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Ministry Nos. 350-356 dated December 30, 2015 and order No. 197 of the Ukrainian research and training center for standardization, certification and quality dated December 18, 2015.
“Large modernization of production facilities will help Ukrainian companies to feel good on the international construction materials and services arena. Cement made under new standards will have better predictable quality indicators. However, the introduction of European requirements is a long and painstaking process. It requires permanent improvement of legislation, training of workers and notification of consumers. Not only the requirements to end products changed, but the principles of doing business and organization of the production process,” the Ukrcement association told Interfax-Ukraine.
The association said that along with the introduction of new standards, Ukraine should create an independent laboratory where producers can legally confirm quality and safety of their products and get CE Marking. The cement plants’ laboratories should meet EN 17025 standard, and they will be able to issue product quality declarations.Ukrcement said that with Ukraine’s switch to European rules and standards, the independent laboratory is to be created before 2020. It should not be a state-run lab. It should have modern equipment, trained staff and acknowledged by the European certification agency.
The association recalled that EU CE Marking Directives took effect and Ukraine is to approve the national technical regulations identical to EU Construction Products Regulation 305.
If Ukraine does not fulfill all EU requirements, with the arrival of foreign investment to the Ukrainian construction market, national construction materials producers will not be able to participate in their projects as they would not be able to meet the requirements of investors regarding CE Marking, the association said.
