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CPR marking in Great Britain (CE and UKCA)
CPR became mandatory for cables across the EU/EEA from 1 July 2017 (CE marking against a DoP). Following EU exit, the position in Great Britain has changed and is still reforming:
- CE marking remains recognised in GB. Legislation in force from 1 October 2024 continues recognition of CE-marked construction products, so a CE-marked DoP is acceptable for placing cables on the GB market — there is no hard cut-off.
- UKCA marking may be used as an alternative (via a UK approved body / UK technical assessment). For construction products in GB, CE and UKCA currently run in parallel.
- The Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (in force 8 January 2026) extend GB recognition to products conforming to the EU CPR 2024.
- Northern Ireland continues to follow the EU CPR (CE, with UK(NI) marking where a UK body is involved).
Practical effect for a specifier: accept either a CE- or a UKCA-marked DoP in GB, and confirm the declared Euroclass on the DoP – not just the marketing datasheet. The framework is under active reform (Construction Products Reform White Paper, February 2026), so re-check before relying on it for a submission.
The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) states how power, control and communication cables permanently installed in buildings are classified for their reaction to fire. Under the harmonised standard BS EN 50575, the manufacturer declares the cable’s performance in a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and marks it accordingly; the reaction-to-fire class itself is assigned using BS EN 13501-6. This guide explains the Euroclass hierarchy (Aca–Fca), the smoke, flaming-droplet and acidity modifiers, and what to specify for UK installations – and the marking position in Great Britain since Brexit.
BS EN 13501-6 vs BS EN 13501-1
Although both use similar notation (B, C, D, etc.), they involve different test methods. For example, B2ca for cables is not the same as B for wall linings, but both imply strong fire performance.
Euroclass Ratings for Cables (BS EN 13501-6)
| Class | Plain-English meaning (short) | Typical notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aca | No contribution to fire (effectively non-combustible) | Rare for cables |
| B1ca | Very limited contribution to fire | Stricter than B2ca |
| B2ca | Limited contribution to fire | Common high-spec class; tested incl. EN 50399 |
| Cca | Controlled contribution to fire | Tested incl. EN 50399 |
| Dca | Acceptable basic performance | Lower than Cca; limited flame spread |
| Eca | Basic flame propagation pass only | Entry level |
| Fca | No performance determined / fail Eca | Avoid for escape routes |
Higher up the list = better fire performance (Aca → B1ca → B2ca → Cca → …).
Optional modifiers you can append to the class
You’ll often see a full designation like B2ca-s1a,d1,a1.
| Suffix | What it controls | Options (best → worst) | Plain-English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| s | Smoke production | s1a, s1b, s2, s3 | s1a = very low smoke; s1b = low smoke; s2 = moderate; s3 = no limit |
| d | Flaming droplets/particles | d0, d1, d2 | d0 = none; d1 = none persisting >10 s; d2 = no requirement |
| a | Acidity/corrosivity of gases | a1, a2, a3 | a1 = very low; a2 = limited; a3 = no requirement |
Minimum Euroclass Recommendations (UK context)
Within the UK, BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 ties into CPR at Regulation 527.1.3, which requires cables to satisfy the CPR in respect of their reaction to fire. Where Regulation 422 determines that cables need improved fire performance but are not covered by Regs 422.2–422.6, this “may be achieved by using cables with a minimum light transmittance of 60 % when tested in accordance with BS EN 61034-2” together with limited flame propagation to the BS EN 60332-3 series. Note this is a BS 7671 performance path – it is not phrased as an across-the-board Euroclass minimum.
Cable classification example:
Minimum: Cca-s1b,d1,a2:
Note: Great Britain does not set a statutory minimum Euroclass for general building cables (unlike some EU member states). The classes below are recommended good practice and specifier/risk-driven — confirm the required class against the project fire strategy, BS 7671 and any client or insurer specification.
- Cca: limited fire growth/heat release and controlled flame spread under EN 50399.
- s1b: low smoke– light transmittance ≥60% and <80% (the s1 family is the most stringent for smoke; s1a ≥80%).
- d1: Limited flaming droplets/particles – none persisting >10 s. (d0 = none at all; d2 = no requirement)
- a2: Limited (intermediate) acidity of combustion gases (less stringent than a1, more than a3); assessed to EN 60754-2 within the EN 13501-6 scheme.
Preferred: B2ca-s1a,d1,a1
- B2ca: Stricter cable class than Cca (very limited contribution to fire growth/heat release) per EN 50399.
- s1a: Very low smoke– light transmittance ≥80%
- d1: Limited flaming droplets/particles – none persisting >10 s.
- a1: Very low acidity/corrosivity of combustion gases.
Euroclass is reaction to fire – not fire survival
A CPR Euroclass measures a cable’s contribution to a fire (flame spread, heat release, smoke, droplets, acidity) — not its ability to keep working in a fire. The two are separate properties, assessed under different standards:
- Reaction to fire → Euroclass Aca–Fca, declared under BS EN 50575 / BS EN 13501-6 (the subject of this guide).
- Resistance to fire / circuit integrity → fire-survival ratings (e.g. PH/FP classifications to BS EN 50200, BS 8434, BS 8519 and, for fire-rated SWA, BS 7846).
BS EN 50575 itself excludes cables for “safety installations such as alarm, way guidance and fire fighting installations” from its scope. So a fire-resistant cable such as Prysmian FP600S has both a Euroclass (e.g. B2ca-s1a,d1,a1) and, separately, its fire-survival rating. Never specify a high Euroclass expecting circuit integrity –
Common Cable Types and Ratings (with UK product examples)
Prysmian FP600S (BS 7846-F120) meets the latest CPR Euroclass rating:
- B2ca–s1a, d1, a1, which is superior to B-s3, d2.
- B2ca: Higher fire resistance than B-s3.
- s1a: Very low smoke production (better than s3).
- d1: Minimal flaming droplets (better than d2).
General Guidance
- CPR Class should be printed on the sheath
E.g. “BASEC Approved, CPR: Cca-s1a,d1,a1” - LS0H cables feel softer than PVC — more prone to nicking on sharp edges
- If in doubt — use Cca or better in public areas or risers
- Fca = fail → Do not install
Other Multicore SWA Options
If, for some reason, FP600S is not suitable (cost, availability, or otherwise), you can look at alternative BS 7846-F120 or fire-rated SWA cables from other manufacturers – many now offer B2ca–s1,d1 (or s1a,d1) ratings. Examples include:
- Draka Firetuf Powerplus (sometimes listed as B2ca–s1,d1,a1)
- Nexans Fire-Performance Armoured cables meeting BS 7846-F120 & CPR B2ca
Always confirm with the manufacturer’s datasheet or DoP (Declaration of Performance) that the specific drum/batch of cable has the required CPR rating.
Related guides
CPR reaction-to-fire classification is one piece of a compliant cable specification. These companion guides cover the fire-resistance, containment and life-safety supply requirements that sit alongside it:
- BS 8519 — Awareness of the Changes — fire-resistant power and control cabling for life-safety and firefighting systems.
- Cable Ladder vs Perforated Cable Tray Selection Guide — choosing non-flame-propagating containment.
- Separation Gap for Primary and Secondary Life-Safety Cable Trays — diverse routing of dual supplies.
- Secondary Supply — Diverse Cable Route — protecting the standby supply against a single fire event.
- Life Safety Generator Selection Guide and Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) — the standby source and changeover behind life-safety circuits.
Specifying cables for a protected escape route or life-safety circuit? Read our companion guide, Wiring in Protected Escape Route, for the fire-resistance and containment requirements that sit alongside CPR classification.
Main image downloaded from: https://cpr.europacable.eu/ Accessed: 2025-06-04
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