The national and international regulatory framework for anchorage devices is not structured in a linear manner, leaving significant room for interpretation. Anchorage systems and their installation are governed by various institutions and documents, including national laws, European directives and regulations, regional provisions, technical standards, guidelines, and similar instruments.
Among the relevant technical standards are EN 795:2012 and UNI 11578:2015. The former regulates anchorage devices intended to be removed from the structure and is only partially harmonized. The latter, on the other hand, is a standard for permanently installed anchorage devices and is applicable exclusively in Italy.
Despite the existence of a complex regulatory framework, permanently installed anchorage devices are currently not covered by a harmonized technical standard. As a consequence, these products are not subject to mandatory CE marking, and their free circulation within the European market is limited.
To address this regulatory gap, the European Commission, through Mandate M/122, requested the development of a new draft standard (prEN 17235), which is currently in its final stages. If the standardization process proceeds as expected, the draft will be submitted for voting by the European member states.
In the event of a positive outcome, the standard will then be assessed for harmonization, leading to the mandatory application of CE marking for the relevant products.
The current timeline indicates that the draft standard will be completed by December 2019, the formal vote will take place by June 2020, and the standard is expected to be published between late 2020 and the first months of 2021.
However, the publication of EN 17235 is subject to the successful completion of the preceding phases, and three possible final scenarios may arise:
Standard published and harmonized
Standard published but not harmonized
Standard not published, with a likely start of a new standardization process
We will keep you informed of further developments, which at present cannot be predicted with certainty.
