Apply for a European Technical Assessment (ETA)

If you would like to obtain a European Technical Assessment (ETA) for your construction product, you can apply for it at the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt).

The European Technical Assessment is a product performance document. It demonstrates that your product meets the requirements of the European Union. The ETA enables you to market construction products throughout Europe even if they are not, or not fully, covered by a harmonized standard. If your product complies with a standard, a product performance assessment cannot be provided via an ETA.

The result of the ETA is the Declaration of Performance and the CE marking. This allows you to sell your product throughout the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and Turkey.

You can apply for an ETA for any construction product that is not or not fully covered by a harmonized standard.

Construction products are products that are permanently incorporated into structures. Examples include steel, windows, beams, thermal insulation materials, or waterproofing systems. Built-in cupboards, on the other hand, are not construction products.

However, the product may only be incorporated into a structure if it satisfies, in particular, the requirements placed on structures under state building code law.

You must apply for an ETA in writing:

• Fill out the application form for the issuance of an ETA completely.
• Send it along with the required documents to the DIBt.
• The DIBt checks the completeness of your documents and clarifies whether an evaluation basis in the form of a European Assessment Document already exists for your construction product.
• If no (fully) applicable assessment document is available, a trade secret and confidentiality agreement as well as a contract for the issuance of the European Technical Assessment must be concluded.
• Subsequently, a test plan is created and you will receive a recommendation for a suitable testing institute.
• You prepare the necessary test reports at an institute of your choice.
• Finally, the DIBt evaluates the test reports and issues the ETA.
• The DIBt recommends a regular technical review of the ETA and, if necessary, an adaptation to the state of the art.

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Depending on the complexity of the product, between roughly EUR 2,000 and EUR 30,000