CPR Euroclass Guide: Fire Classes for Fibre Optic Cables in Europe

What CPR Requires for Cables

Regulation (EU) No 305/2011, the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), covers products incorporated permanently in buildings and civil engineering works. Power, control and communication cables, including fibre optic cables, fall under it through the harmonised standard EN 50575, which has applied since 1 July 2017 after the coexistence period ended. A cable placed on the EU market for permanent installation needs:

• A reaction-to-fire class from Aca to Fca, tested to the methods in EN 50575 and classified to EN 13501-6.
• A Declaration of Performance (DoP) issued by the manufacturer.
• CE marking on the label or packaging, with the class and DoP reference.
• Third-party involvement depending on the class (the AVCP system described below).

The CPR is being replaced by Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 in stages. According to the transition rules as summarized in compliance guides such as spilma's EN 50575 guide, the DoP, CE marking and AVCP requirements under EN 50575 continue to apply to cables during the transition; check the current position for projects that run into later years.

The Euroclasses From Aca to Fca

For communication cables, the classes seen in practice are Eca, Dca, Cca and B2ca. Aca applies to essentially non-combustible cables, and B1ca is rarely offered for data cables. Panduit's CPR brief gives the range for communication cables as B2ca through Fca.

Reading the s, d and a Codes

A full declaration therefore reads like Cca-s1b,d1,a1: class Cca, low smoke (s1b), short-lived droplets (d1), low acidity (a1). When comparing two cables, compare every part of the code, not just the letter.

LSZH Is Not a Euroclass

"LSZH" (low smoke zero halogen) describes the jacket material. It usually helps with the smoke (s) and acidity (a) codes, because halogen-free compounds give off less corrosive smoke. It does not, by itself, give a cable any Euroclass: an LSZH cable can be Eca, and a better class such as Cca or B2ca depends on the whole construction passing EN 50399. On an order, ask for the declared class and the DoP, and treat "LSZH" as a separate material requirement.

North American listings such as OFNR (riser) and OFNP (plenum) are a different system, tested to UL and NFPA methods. They are not equivalent to Euroclasses, and a cable can carry both a listing and a Euroclass if it has been tested for each.

Who Checks the Class: AVCP Systems

The practical effect is that a Cca or B2ca claim always comes with a notified body certificate number, while a Dca or Eca claim comes with a notified laboratory's test report number. A class without either on the DoP is not a valid declaration.

How to Check a DoP and Cable Label

1. DoP number and product code match between the DoP, the label and the quotation.
2. Intended use reads as cable for general applications in construction works subject to reaction to fire requirements.
3. Manufacturer is the actual cable producer or importer with a full address, not only a brand name.
4. AVCP system is 1+ or 3, consistent with the class.
5. Standard is a dated reference to EN 50575.
6. Notified body number can be found in the EU NANDO database.
7. Declared class includes s, d and a codes for B2ca, Cca and Dca.
8. CE mark and year appear on the label.

This list follows the compliance checklist published by Europacable, the association of European cable makers, which also recommends looking up the DoP with the finder on the manufacturer's website.

Patch Cords, Pigtails and Assemblies

Cords with connectors are designed to be connected and disconnected, not built into the structure. Nexans states that cables with connectors fitted are outside the scope of the CPR, and Panduit's CPR brief says cords and assemblies are not covered and will not carry a CPR CE mark. Cables inside equipment cabinets are also not construction products.

Buyers still have good reasons to ask about fire performance for cords. Large projects often require that cords be made from cable that has its own declared Euroclass, recorded on the cord specification sheet rather than as a CE mark on the cord. If you need that, say so on each line and ask for the DoP of the cable used. For the cord fields themselves, see our patch cord buying guide; for armored cords see armored vs standard patch cords.

Writing Fire-Class Requirements on an RFQ

State the destination country, the required class and what document you need. The lines below are an example of the format, not a real order.

Where the class required is not yet known, write "Euroclass per national rule, to be confirmed per project". Do not accept a class stated without a DoP. Our patch cord wholesale and FTTH drop cable pages list the jacket options we quote.