National procedures for product approval

National procedures for construction product approval are approval procedures used in Finland for products for which CE marking cannot be used. This means construction products outside the scope of any harmonised product standard or European Technical Assessment (ETA).

The national procedures for product approval are based on the Act on the Type Approval of Certain Construction Products (Laki eräiden rakennustuotteiden tuotehyväksynnästä 954/2012), which entered into force on 1 July 2013. This new act repealed the previous Act on the Approval of Construction Products (230/2003).

National procedures for product approval can be used to demonstrate that a construction product outside the scope of application of CE marking meets the requirements of the Land Use and Building Act.

There are three voluntary national procedures for the approval of construction products:

Only one of the procedures can be used for the same product group.

Verification on the construction site

In addition to voluntary procedures, the building supervision authority can require that the performance of a construction product is certified on the construction site, if the fitness of the construction product for its intended use has not been certified in any other way and there is reason to suspect that the product does not fulfil the essential technical requirements set for it.

Verification on the construction site offers the building supervision authorities an opportunity to ensure that the construction product is safe and fit for the intended use in the building in question.

The building supervision authority can require that the performance of a construction product is verified on the construction site, if:

  • the manufacturer has not demonstrated the characteristics of the construction product in any way, and
  • the building supervision authority has reason to suspect that the product does not fulfil the essential technical requirements.

As in all construction, the final responsibility for ensuring that the construction product is fit for the intended use rests with the party implementing the project.

The party implementing the construction project is responsible for the verification costs.

Authorised and approved bodies

The Ministry of the Environment authorises a body to grant type approvals, approves a body to grant verification certificates, or authorises a body to act as a certifying body for quality control, if the body meets the requirements set for it. General requirements set for the bodies are included in the Act on the Type Approval of Certain Construction Products (Laki eräiden rakennustuotteiden tuotehyväksynnästä 954/2012).