# Commission Decision of 17 January 2003 establishing the classes of reaction-to-fire performance for certain construction products (notified under document number C(2002) 4807) (Text with EEA relevance) (2003/43/EC)

EU Decision 2003/43 · adopted 17 January 2003

Commission Decision of 17 January 2003 establishing the classes of reaction-to-fire performance for certain construction products (notified under document number C(2002) 4807) (Text with EEA relevance) (2003/43/EC)

## Introductory text

Commission Decision
of 17 January 2003
establishing the classes of reaction-to-fire performance for certain construction products
(notified under document number C(2002) 4807)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2003/43/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 89/106/EEC of 21 December 1988, on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to construction products, as amended by Directive 93/68/EEC, and in particular Article 20(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Directive 89/106/EEC envisages that in order to take account of the different levels of protection for construction works at national, regional or local level, it may be necessary to establish in the interpretative documents classes corresponding to the performance of products in respect of each essential requirement. Those documents have been published as the
‘Communication of the Commission with regard to the interpretative documents of Council Directive 89/106/EEC ’.
(2)
With respect to the essential requirement of safety in the event of fire, interpretative document No 2 lists a number of interrelated measures which together define the fire safety strategy to be variously developed in the Member States.
(3)
Interpretative document No 2 identifies one of those measures as the limitation of the generation and spread of fire and smoke within a given area by limiting the potential of construction products to contribute to the full development of a fire.
(4)
The level of that limitation may be expressed only in terms of the different levels of reaction-to-fire performance of the products in their end-use application.
(5)
By way of a harmonised solution, a system of classes was adopted in Commission Decision 2000/147/EC of 8 February 2000 implementing Council Directive 89/106/EEC as regards the classification of the reaction-to-fire performance of construction products.
(6)
In the case of certain wood-based panels, it is necessary to use the classification established in Decision 2000/147/EC.
(7)
The reaction-to-fire performance of many construction products and/or materials, within the classification provided for in Decision 2000/147/EC, is well established and sufficiently well known to fire regulators in Member States that they do not require testing for this particular performance characteristic.
(8)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Construction,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

## 1 

The construction products and/or materials which satisfy all the requirements of the performance characteristic ‘reaction-to-fire’ without need for further testing are set out in the Annex.

## 2 

The specific classes to be applied to different construction products and/or materials, within the reaction-to-fire classification adopted in Decision 2000/147/EC, are set out in the Annex to this Decision.

## 3 

Products shall be considered in relation to their end-use application, where relevant.

## 4 

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

## 

The tables set out in this annex list construction products and/or materials which satisfy all the requirements for the performance characteristic reaction to fire without need for testing.
Table 1
Classes of reaction to fire performance for wood-based panels
Mounted without an air gap directly against class A1 or A2-s1, d0 products with minimum density 10 kg/m 3 or at least class D-s2, d2 products with minimum density 400 kg/m 3 .
A substrate of cellulose insulation material of at least class E may be included if mounted directly against the wood-based panel, but not for floorings.
Mounted with an air gap behind. The reverse face of the cavity shall be at least class A2-s1, d0 products with minimum density 10 kg/m 3 .
Mounted with an air gap behind. The reverse face of the cavity shall be at least class D-s2, d2 products with minimum density 400 kg/m 3 .
Veneered, phenol- and melamine-faced panels are included for class excl. floorings.
A vapour barrier with a thickness up to 0,4 mm and a mass up to 200 g/m 2 can be mounted in between the wood-based panel and a substrate if there are no air gaps in between.
Class as provided for in Table 1 of the Annex to Decision 2000/147/EC.
Class as provided for in Table 2 of the Annex to Decision 2000/147/EC.
Product
EN product standard
End use condition
Minimum density (kg/m 3 )
Minimum thickness (mm)
Class (excluding floorings)
Class (floorings)
Cement-bonded particleboard
EN 634-2
without an air gap behind the panel
1 000
10
B-s1, d0
B fl -s1
Fibreboard, hard
EN 622-2
without an air gap behind the wood-based panel
900
6
D-s2, d0
D fl -s1
Fibreboard, hard
EN 622-2
with a closed air gap not more than 22 mm behind the wood-based panel
900
6
D-s2, d2
—
Particleboard , ,
EN 312
without an air gap behind the wood-based panel
600
9
D-s2, d0
D fl -s1
Fibreboard, hard and medium , ,
EN 622-2
EN 622-3
MDF , ,
EN 622-5
MDF , ,
EN 300
Plywood , ,
EN 636
-“-
400
9
D-s2, d0
D fl -s1
Solid wood panel , ,
EN 13353
12
Flaxboard , ,
EN 15197
-“-
450
15
D-s2, d0
D fl -s1
Particleboard ,
EN 312
with a closed or an open air gap not more than 22 mm behind the wood-based panel
600
9
D-s2, d2
—
Fibreboard, hard and medium ,
EN 622-2
EN 622-3
MDF ,
EN 622-5
OSB ,
EN 300
Plywood ,
EN 636
-“-
400
9
D-s2, d2
—
Solid wood panel ,
EN 13353
12
Particleboard ,
EN 312
with a closed air gap behind the wood-based panel
600
15
D-s2, d0
D fl -s1
Fibreboard, medium ,
EN 622-3
MDF ,
EN 622-5
OSB ,
EN 300
Plywood ,
EN 636
-“-
400
15
D-s2, d1
D fl -s1
Solid wood panel ,
EN 13353
D-s2, d0
Flaxboard ,
EN 15197
-“-
450
15
D-s2, d0
D fl -s1
Particleboard ,
EN 312
with an open air gap behind the wood-based panel
600
18
D-s2, d0
D fl -s1
Fibreboard, medium ,
EN 622-3
MDF ,
EN 622-5
OSB ,
EN 300
Plywood ,
EN 636
-“-
400
18
D-s2, d0
D fl -s1
Solid wood panel ,
EN 13353
Flaxboard ,
EN 15197
-“-
450
18
D-s2, d0
D fl -s1
Particleboard
EN 312
any
600
3
E
E fl
OSB
EN 300
MDF
EN 622-5
-“-
400
3
E
E fl
250
9
E
E fl
Plywood
EN 636
-“-
400
3
E
E fl
Fibreboard, hard
EN 622-2
-“-
900
3
E
E fl
Fibreboard, medium
EN 622-3
-“-
400
9
E
E fl
Fibreboard, soft
EN 622-4
-“-
250
9
E
E fl
Table 2
Classes of reaction — to — fire performance of gypsum plasterboards
Determined according to EN ISO 536 and with no more than 5 % organic additive content.
Classes as provided for in Table 1 of the Annex to Commission Decision 2000/147/EC.
Gypsum plasterboard
Nominal board thickness (mm)
Gypsum core
Paper grammage (g/m 2 )
Substrate
Class (excluding floorings)
Density (kg/m 3 )
Reaction to fire class
Conforming to EN 520 (except perforated boards)
≥ 6,5 < 9,5
≥ 800
A1
≤ 220
Any wood-based product with density ≥ 400 kg/m 3 or any product of at least class A2-s1, d0
A2-s1, d0
> 220 ≤ 320
B-s1, d0
≥ 9,5
≥ 600
≤ 220
Any wood-based product with density ≥ 400 kg/m 3 or any product of at least class A2-s1, d0 or any insulating product of at least class E-d2 mounted according to method 1
A2-s1, d0
> 220 ≤ 320
B-s1, d0
Table 3
Classes of reaction-to-fire performance of high-pressure decorative laminate panels
Either directly fixed (i.e. with no air gap) to a material having a reaction to fire of A2-s1, d0 or better and a density of at least 600 kg/m 3 , or mounted on a timber or metal batten support frame, with a non-ventilated (i.e. void open only at the top) air gap of at least 30 mm, the reverse face of the cavity so formed having a reaction to fire classification of A2-s1, d0 or better.
Classes as provided for in Table 1 of the Annex to Decision 2000/147/EC.
Complying with European Standard EN 438-7.
High pressure decorative laminate panels
Product detail
Minimum density (kg/m 3 )
Minimum overall thickness (mm)
Class (excluding floorings)
Interior grade non-FR Compact HPL panels
Compact HPL meeting EN 438-4 type CGS
1 350
6
D-s2, d0
Interior grade non-FR HPL composite panels with wood-based substrates
Composite panels comprising non-FR grade HPL meeting the requirements of EN 438-3, adhesively bonded to both sides of non-FR grade wood-based core of minimum thickness 12 mm complying with EN 13986, using PVAc or thermosetting adhesive at an application rate of 60 to 120 g/m 2
Wood-based core minimum density 600
HPL minimum density 1 350
12 mm wood-based core with HPL ≥ 0,5 mm bonded to both sides
D-s2, d0
Table 4
Classes of reaction-to-fire performance of structural timber products
Applies to all species covered by the product standards.
Classes as provided for in Table 1 of the Annex to Decision 2000/147/EC.
Conditioned according to EN 13238.
Product detail
Minimum mean density (kg/m 3 )
Minimum overall thickness (mm)
Class (excluding floorings)
Structural timber
Visual and machine graded structural timber with rectangular cross-sections shaped by sawing, planing or other methods or with round cross-sections
350
22
D-s2, d0

## Note: 

Mounting and fixing

## 

The gypsum plasterboards (hereinafter — ‘ gypsum boards ’ ) shall be mounted and fixed using one of the three following methods:
Method 1 — Mechanically fixed to a supporting substructure
The gypsum boards, or (in the case of multi-layer systems) at least the outermost layer of boards, shall be mechanically fixed to a metal substructure (made from components detailed in EN 14195) or to a timber substructure (in accordance with EN 336 and EN 1995-1-1).
When the substructure provides supporting members in one direction only, the maximum span between the supporting members shall not exceed a dimension equal to 50 times the thickness of the gypsum boards.
When the substructure includes supporting members in two directions the maximum span in either direction shall not exceed a dimension equal to 100 times the thickness of the gypsum boards.
The mechanical fixings shall be screws, staples or nails, which shall be fixed through the thickness of the gypsum boards into the substructure at centres not exceeding 300 mm measured along the length of each supporting member.
Behind the gypsum boards may be an air space, or an insulating product. The substrate may be:
(a) any wood-based product with density ≥ 400 kg/m 3 or any product of at least class A2-s1, d0 in case of gypsum boards of ≥ 6,5 mm and < 9,5 mm nominal thickness and ≥ 800 kg/m 3 core density, or
(b) any wood-based product with density ≥ 400 kg/m 3 or any product of at least class A2-s1, d0 in case of gypsum boards of ≥ 9,5 mm nominal thickness and ≥ 600 kg/m 3 core density, or
(c) any insulating material of at least class E-d2 in case of gypsum boards of ≥ 9,5 mm nominal thickness and ≥ 600 kg/m 3 core density.
Each joint between adjoining gypsum boards shall have a gap width ≤ 4 mm. This provision applies for any joint regardless of that the joint is or is not supported directly by a substructure supporting member and regardless of that the joint is or is not filled with a jointing material.
In cases (a) and (b) each joint between adjoining gypsum boards, which is not supported directly by a substructure supporting member and which has a gap width > 1 mm, shall be fully filled with a jointing material as specified in EN 13963 (the other joints may remain unfilled).
In case (c) all joints between adjoining gypsum boards shall be fully filled with a jointing material as specified in EN 13963.
Method 2 — Mechanically fixed to a solid wood-based substrate
The gypsum boards shall be mechanically fixed to a solid wood-based substrate with density ≥ 400 kg/m 3 .
There shall be no cavity between the gypsum boards and the substrate.
The mechanical fixings shall be screws, staples or nails. The distance between the mechanical fixings shall correspond to the rules given above for method 1.
Each joint between adjoining gypsum boards shall have a gap width ≤ 4 mm and may remain unfilled.
Method 3 — Mechanically fixed or bonded to a solid substrate (dry lining system)
The gypsum boards shall be fixed directly to a solid substrate with a reaction to fire classification of at least class A2-s1, d0.
The gypsum boards may be fixed using screws or nails fixed through the thickness of the gypsum boards into the solid substrate or may be bonded to the substrate using ‘ dabs ’ of a gypsum based adhesive as specified in EN 14496.
In either case the screw or nail fixings or the adhesive ‘ dabs ’ shall be positioned at maximum 600 mm vertical and horizontal centres.
All joints between adjoining gypsum boards may remain unfilled.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2003/43 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2003-43
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.