In February 2016, the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU) announced that the testing standards had been ratified in all EU countries. The regulation itself entered into force on July 12, 2016, although there will be a 12-month coexistence period (during which pre-CPR products can still be sold) to allow sufficient time for all products to be tested. By July 2017, 2017, all products covered by this Regulation must have been tested and must bear the appropriate CE marking.
Paul Cave, Technical Director at Excel, explains: “The main change we will see in the specifications and references currently used in the market is that the IEC 60332 flammability classification will be replaced by a series of Euroclasses, ranging from A to F, where A is the most flame-resistant and F the least, i.e., the most flammable.” However, in the communications sector, compliance is only expected for B2ca cables up to Category F.
The CPR applies ONLY to "fixed infrastructure" and therefore does not include any connecting equipment or patch cord and fan-out cable assemblies. However, it will apply to all pre-terminated solutions, such as MTP trunk cables, which are considered "fixed," although their certification will be based on the bulk cable from which the assembly was built.
We are aware of the importance and implications of this change and, from the outset, we have ensured that we take the necessary steps as each phase of this process comes into effect. Therefore, we already have products that have undergone the relevant testing and bear the new CE marking.
Before the new products are available, existing stock will be depleted, but Excel is more than ready for the change, which will officially take place on July 1, 2017, and copper and fiber optic cables with the CE marking will be introduced as soon as existing stock is exhausted.
