Brussels, 29/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - In order to improve the working of the internal market for construction products, the European Commission proposed on Monday 26 May to replace the constructive product directive (89/106/EEC) by a new regulation aimed at removing all remaining regulatory and technical obstacles to the free movement of construction products in the European Economic Area. With 15% of EU manufacturing added value, but only 5% of intra-Community trade, the construction sector is less open than other sectors of manufactured goods. Construction products include more than 40 ranges of products such as doors, thermal insulating products, cement, roofing products and bricks. The proposal aims to introduce a common technical language to express the performance of all these products, thus simplifying and clarifying the present situation. A clarification of procedures leading to EC marking is also introduced to reduce costs for manufacturers, whilst ensuring that the declaration of performance accompanying the product is accurate and reliable. Furthermore, specific measures are introduced to make life easier for micro-enterprises. “With this proposal, we are continuing the drive to modernise EU legislation and cut unnecessary red-tape and over-regulation. My aim is to make life easier for industry and in particular for small enterprises. These changes will mean that construction products can be placed on the market at reduced cost and innovators can take advantage of simpler and more efficient procedures”, Günter Verheugen, Commission Vice-President responsible for enterprise and industry policy, states in a press release. (O.L.)