What are PCRs and why are they important?
Product Category Rules (PCRs) are, according to DIN EN ISO 14025, a compilation of specific rules, requirements, and guidelines used to create Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for one or more product categories. They ensure that the environmental impacts of products within a certain category are recorded and presented according to uniform and comparable criteria.
Our role: Harmonization and Quality Assurance
Kiwa-EE supports the creation and maintenance of PCRs to ensure transparency and acceptance
- Organization: We accompany the process in accordance with the EE 1201 program
- Validation: Review by independent LCA expert panels. Approval: Final approval by the expert panel (SVA)
- Recognition: We also review and integrate non-normative PCRs from third parties
Product Category Rules (PCR)
The basis of your EPD; clear rules are necessary to ensure the comparability of environmental declarations. We ensure that these rules (Core PCR and c-PCR) are transparently defined and adhered to.
What is the difference between Core PCR and c-PCR?
Product category rules are divided into two levels:
1. Core PCR (basic rules): These are usually industry-specific (e.g., EN 15804, EN 50693) and always normative.
2. c-PCR (supplementary product rules): These contain specific regulations for a product. These may be standards or, if no normative rules exist, rules that can be created by program operators.
Important: The c-PCRs must always comply with the corresponding Core PCR.
How does the creation process work at Kiwa-EE?
The process is organized by the Kiwa-EE validation and verification body and follows clear transparency guidelines:
1. Basis: The process follows the EE 1201 program (general program guidelines).
2. Involvement: We involve interested parties through LCA expert committees to ensure transparency, understanding, and acceptance.
3. Approval: Final approval is given by the Kiwa-EE Advisory Board.
Third-party PCRs can also undergo a defined recognition process with us.
What are PSRs (Product Specific Rules)?
The term Product Specific Rules (PSR) has become established specifically for electrical and electronic products. Like PCRs, these PSRs provide specific calculation instructions and definitions for the preparation of environmental declarations.
EU Construction Products Regulation
The new Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 and future harmonized specifications will establish uniform PCRs for construction products at the European level
In the past, we have developed a number of new PCRs/PSRs for various product categories. The following current PCRs/PSRs are worth mentioning:
In the field of electronic and electrotechnical equipment, e.g.:
- Commercial coffee machines
In the field of construction, e.g.:
- Fire hose with semi-rigid hose
- Geosynthetic products
Download here the Product Category Rules
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