What EN 15804 covers
EN 15804 is the "core PCR" for construction products in Europe — it sits below ISO 14025 and defines the shared structure every construction-product EPD must follow: the life-cycle modules (A1–A5, B1–B7, C1–C4, Module D), which impact categories must be reported, and how results are presented. Individual product-specific PCRs — for concrete, insulation, flooring, and so on — are written on top of EN 15804, adding category-specific detail without contradicting its core structure.
The 2019 update (A2): what changed
The current edition, EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, amended the original 2012 version. The A2 amendment expanded the mandatory impact category list to include additional indicators — particulate matter, ionising radiation, ecotoxicity, human toxicity, land use, and water use among them — bringing EN 15804 closer in line with the EU's Product Environmental Footprint method, and revised the treatment of biogenic carbon. Program operators set their own transition timelines for requiring the new indicator set, so it's worth checking which edition a specific EPD was verified against rather than assuming.
Required impact categories
Under A2, EPDs report a broader set of impact and resource-use indicators than the original 2012 edition required — global warming potential (split into fossil, biogenic, and land-use components), ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, photochemical ozone creation, and abiotic resource depletion remain from the original core set, joined by the additional indicators introduced in A2. The exact list a given EPD reports depends on which edition and which PCR it was written against.
Who this applies to
Any manufacturer publishing a construction-product EPD through a European program operator works within EN 15804. Outside Europe, ISO 21930 is the more common reference, though the two are closely aligned and many EPDs are written to satisfy both.
Frequently asked questions
What changed between EN 15804 A1 and A2?
The A2 amendment (2019) added a set of additional impact and resource-use indicators — covering areas like particulate matter, ionising radiation, land use, water use, and ecotoxicity/human toxicity — aligning EN 15804 more closely with the EU's Product Environmental Footprint method. It also revised how biogenic carbon is accounted for. Program operators phased in mandatory reporting against the new indicator set over a transition period, so EPDs published during the transition may reference either A1 or A2 — check the specific declaration for which edition it follows.
Is EN 15804 legally mandatory in the EU?
EN 15804 itself is a voluntary European standard, not a law. It becomes effectively mandatory in practice because it's the reference core PCR that EU program operators, procurement policies, and increasingly EU regulation (including elements of the Construction Products Regulation) point to.
Do published EPDs need to be updated every time EN 15804 changes?
No — an EPD remains valid under the edition it was verified against until its own validity period expires (generally five years), even if EN 15804 is amended in the meantime. New EPDs published after a transition deadline need to follow the current edition.
Sources
- EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, Sustainability of construction works — Environmental product declarations — Core rules for the product category of construction products
- ISO 14025:2006, Environmental labels and declarations — Type III environmental declarations — Principles and procedures