Several months have now passed since the deadline for conversion was brought forward at the request of the Commission, and EOTA is fully committed to finalizing as many conversions as possible by the end of this year. The previously agreed calendar was scheduled to end in December 2020 for conversions with priority C (third set), and in December 2018 for conversions with priority B (second set). The priority A conversions (first set) have now been finished and are published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), as can be seen in the following point.

Once the conversion of an ETA Guideline is completed, it is sent to the European Commission for publication.

In this publication phase, the Commission makes comments which in some cases may be significant. The EADs resulting from the conversion works completed in December 2018 will be published in 2019, within a timescale that will depend on the resources made available by the Commission for this phase. It must be borne in mind that in addition to the conversions of the ETA Guidelines, EOTA produces EADs for those products that are not covered or not fully covered by a harmonized standard. These EADs must also be sent to the Commission for the publication phase.

Despite the advance of the deadline for all the conversion works, for the time being we will be maintaining the current division by priority level, in three sets.

At the 21st meeting of the EOTA Technical Board the status of the conversions from the first set (priority A) was analysed. The last pending EAD – the conversion from ETA Guideline 001 part 6 – has now been published in the OJEU.

Detailed status of the works:

• EAD on mechanical fasteners (conversion from ETA Guideline 001 parts 1 to 4): published in the OJEU, on 9.12.2016 (*).
• EAD on chemical fasteners (conversion from ETA Guideline 001 part 5): published in the OJEU, on 15.12.2017 (*).
• EAD on mechanical fasteners for multiple use for non-structural applications (conversion from ETA Guideline 001 part 6): published in the OJEU, on 10.08.2018.
• EAD on prefabricated stair kits (conversion from ETA Guideline 008): published in the OJEU, on 13.5.2016.
• EADs (2 docs.) on post-tensioning kits for prestressing of structures (conversion from ETA-013 Guideline): EADs published in the OJEU, on 15.12.2017.
• EAD on reactive coatings for fire protection (conversion from ETA Guideline 018 part 2): published in the OJEU, on 15.12.2017.
• EAD on fire protective renderings (conversion from ETA Guideline 018 part 3): published in the OJEU, on 15.12.2017.
• EAD on fire-protective boards (conversion from ETA Guideline 018 part 4): published in the OJEU, on 15.12.2017.
• EAD on fire-protective penetration seals (conversion from ETA Guideline 026 part 2): published in the OJEU, on 15.12.2017.
• EAD on penetration seals (conversion from ETA Guideline 026 part 3): published in the OJEU, on 15.12.2017.
• EAD on mechanical fasteners for use in masonry (conversion from ETA Guideline 029): published in the OJEU, on 15.12.2017 (*).

(*) Work has started on revision and technical improvement (2nd phase of the conversion). The published EAD is the result of a conversion with no technical changes, but including specific detailed changes in some cases.

At the 21st meeting of the EOTA Technical Board the status of the conversions from the second set (priority B) was analysed. So far, one of these conversions has been published in the OJEU.

Detailed status of the works:

• EAD on structural sealant glazing systems (conversion from ETA Guideline 002 parts 1 and 3): sent to the Commission for the publication phase.
• EAD on internal partition kits (conversion from ETA Guideline 003): sent to the Commission for the publication phase.
• EAD on external thermal insulation systems (conversion from ETA Guideline 004): the fourth meeting of the working group was held on 19-20.09.18; the 7th draft of the EAD is being prepared and will shortly be circulated to the working group, after which it will be sent to all the designated bodies for approval or comment.
• EAD on plastic anchors for ETICS (conversion from ETA Guideline 014): published in the OJEU, on 9.12.2016.
• EAD on plastic anchors (conversion from ETA Guideline 020): sent to the Commission for the publication phase.
• EAD on dynamic barriers against falling rocks (conversion from ETA Guideline 027): sent to the Commission for the publication phase.

At the 21st meeting of the EOTA Technical Board the status of the conversions from the third set (priority C) was analysed.

Detailed status of the works:

• EAD on liquid applied roof waterproofing kits (conversion from ETA Guideline 005): the comments received from the Commission are being addressed, and the document will then be submitted for the publication phase.
• EAD on systems of mechanically fastened flexible roof waterproofing membranes (conversion of Guide 006): the comments received from the Commission are being addressed, and the document will then be submitted for the publication phase.
• EAD on timber frame prefabricated building kits (conversion from ETA Guideline 007): the fourth meeting of the working group was held on 27.08.2018; the EAD draft prepared by the working group has been sent out to all the designated bodies for approval or comment.
• EAD on non-load-bearing permanent shuttering systems based on hollow blocks or panels of insulating materials and concrete (conversion from ETA Guideline 009): conversion work in progress at working group level.
• EAD on self-supporting translucent roof kits other than glass (conversion from ETA Guideline 010): conversion work in progress at working group level; meeting scheduled for October 17.
• EAD on wood-based composite beams and pillars (conversion from ETA Guideline 011): the draft EAD has been adopted at EOTA level and will be sent to the Commission for comments.
• EAD on three-dimensional nailing plates (conversion from ETA Guideline 015): sent to the Commission for the publication phase.
• EAD on prefabricated units for external wall insulation (conversion from ETA Guideline 017): the comments received from the circulation of the draft EAD to the working group and to all the designated bodies have been addressed, and a new draft has been circulated to the designated bodies for approval; ITeC is actively collaborating with the leader of this working group.
• EAD on prefabricated wood-based panels bearing tensioned faces (conversion from ETA Guideline 019): the draft EAD has been adopted at EOTA level and will be sent to the Commission for comments.
• EAD on watertight covering kits for wet room floors and or walls (conversion from ETA Guideline 022 parts 1-3): conversion work in progress at working group level.
• EAD on flame retardant products (conversion from ETA Guideline 028): see information in the section ‘ITeC and the European Technical Assessment’.
• EAD on connectors for structural joints (conversion from ETA Guideline 030): conversion work in progress at working group level.
• EAD on inverted roof insulation kits (conversion from ETA Guideline 031): conversion work in progress at working group level.
• EAD on expansion joints for road bridges (conversion from ETA Guideline 032 parts 1-8): work continues at a good pace; the sixth meeting of the working group will take place on October 24 and 25; parts 3 and 4 have already been sent to the Commission for comments.
• EAD for façade cladding kits (conversion from ETA Guideline 034 parts 1 and 2): see information in the section ‘ITeC and the European Technical Assessment’.

• Conversion from the ETA Guideline for fire retardant products (ETAG 28)
   
  Once the draft EAD had been approved both by the working group and by all the technical assessment bodies designated for this product area, this draft was submitted to the Commission for the comments phase. These comments were received during the summer and have been addressed by the leader of the working group. On October 8, the revised draft was circulated to all the designated bodies for approval or comment.

• Conversion from the ETA Guideline for kits for external wall claddings (ETAG 34)
   
  On October 1, a number of comments were received in the final control by the Commission, before giving the go-ahead for the publication of an EAD. These comments were quickly dealt with by the leader of the working group and accepted by the Commission’s interlocutor. However, an additional comment has subsequently been received from the Commission, as a result of which it has not been possible to publish the EAD in October. Work is being done to resolve or clarify this point.

ITeC has already published eight EADs in the OJEU, and is currently working on a further fourteen EADs:

• Four have been sent for the publication phase following the issue of the first ETA
• Two have already been internally adopted by EOTA and the corresponding ETAs are now in preparation
• The remaining eight are at different stages of elaboration

Note: This paragraph does not include the conversion of ETA Guidelines to EADs detailed in the first paragraph of this section.

Between 26.06.2018 and 17.10.2018, ITeC has issued five ETA and has twenty-nine under development. The ETAs issued correspond to the following EADs (see the publications section of the EOTA website).

• EAD 040427-00-0404, on kits for an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) with mortar as thermal insulation product and renderings or discontinuous claddings as external skin
  • ETA 18/0165 webertherm mineral from Saint-Gobain Weber Cemarksa SA

• EAD 090119-00-0404, on kits for external wall claddings of mineral boards with renderings applied in-situ
  • ETA 13/0311 Kits for wall cladding systems AQUAPANEL® WL121.C; WL122.C; WL221.C; WL222.C; WL321.C; WL322.C; WL131.C; WL132.C; WL231.C; WL232.C; WL331.C; WL332.C from Knauf Aquapanel GmbH & Co. KG

• EAD 090120-00-0404, on kits for non-load bearing mineral board external wall systems
  • ETA 13/0312 Kits for non-load external wall systems Knauf WM111.C; WM211.C; WM311.C; WM411.C; WM111.G; WM211.G; WM311.G; WM411.G from Knauf Gips KG

• EAD 020001-01-0405, on multi-axis concealed hinge assemblies
  • ETA 18/0657 1129, 1130s, 1030inox, 1131s and 1230s from Ceam Amadeo SPA

• EAD 350140-00-1106, on renderings and rendering kits for fire resisting applications
  • ETA 18/0456 Perliwool from Mineral Fiber Solutions SL

A ventilated façade is composed of a set of components that are ‘assembled’ on site, the result being an assembled system. A kit for a ventilated façade is a construction product marked by a manufacturer for the execution of a façade assembled system. See the article ‘The kit concept in construction products’.

Each kit consists of a set of components that may correspond either to a part of the components of the assembled system – e.g. the cladding element and the cladding fixings on a ventilated façade -, or in some cases to the entire assembled system – e.g. the cladding element and the cladding fixings, the subframe and the subframe fixings, and the insulation, in the previous example.

In accordance with the harmonized technical specification, the EAD[1] in the examples indicated, the manufacturers define the components of the kit they wish to put on the market, and assume responsibility for these (production control) and for the performance declared in the declaration of performance of the kit.

In order to evaluate the performance of the kit, and in particular to carry out tests in end use conditions – e.g.  wind resistance of a ventilated façade -, consideration is given to the assembled system, including, where necessary, those components that are not part of the kit but are relevant to the assessment of its performance. In the case of ETAs, these components must be specified, even though they are not part of the kit, given that the performance of the kit will also depend on them.

Therefore, there are significant differences between a kit and an assembled system. Firstly, the kit makes sense on the market while the assembled system makes sense on site. Secondly, the kit is linked to the assembled system the execution of which it is intended to contribute, but it does not necessarily include all the components of the assembled system, although it may do so in some cases.
 

[1] The EAD referred to here is the EAD 090062-00-0404, which is currently pending publication. See section ‘Conversion of ETA Guidelines to EAD led by ITeC ‘, second paragraph.

• Technical Board No. 21, Bratislava, 9 and 10 October 2018

• General Assembly of the EOTA, Brussels, 21 November 2018
• Technical Board No. 22, Brussels, 12 and 13 December 2018