In brief

  • The INCD „URBAN-INCERC” laboratories have been redesignated as a testing laboratory notified to the European Commission for construction products, under identification number NB 1841.
  • The notification is granted for an unlimited period, provided that the requirements continue to be met, and is entered in the European NANDO database. The previous order, no. 2,719/2024, is repealed on the date of publication.
  • Those concerned are the manufacturers and importers of waterproofing membranes, thermal insulation products, doors, windows and heating appliances, who need laboratory tests in order to declare the performance of their products.
Act: MDLPA Order no. 914/2026
Published: Official Gazette of Romania (Monitorul Oficial) no. 681 of 18 August 2026
Issued: 6 August 2026

A manufacturer of mineral wool or of windows cannot affix the CE marking without tests carried out by an officially recognised laboratory, and the list of those laboratories has just been updated. The Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration has issued Order no. 914/2026, designating the National Institute for Research and Development in Construction, Urban Planning and Sustainable Spatial Development „URBAN-INCERC”, through ON Laboratoare „URBAN-INCERC”, with a view to notification to the European Commission as a testing laboratory for construction products. It is the same ministry which, over the same period, also acted on the template handover report for essential works.

The act has four articles and an annex. Article 1 approves the designation, Article 2 sets out what is to be entered in the European NANDO database, Article 3 orders publication, and Article 4 repeals, on the date of publication, Order no. 2,719/2024 of the Minister of Development, Public Works and Administration, which designated the same institute for the same function.

The identification details are set out in the annex. The identification number with the European Commission is NB 1841, the registered office is at șoseaua Pantelimon nr. 266, sectorul 2, București, and competence was assessed against standard SR EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018, the one that lays down the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Accreditation was granted by the Romanian Accreditation Association, RENAR.

What it changes in practice

The first effect is the practical one, for manufacturers. A notified laboratory is one that can be asked to carry out the tests needed for the assessment and verification of constancy of performance, that is, the step without which the declaration of performance and the CE marking do not hold up. The order states publicly who holds that right.

The second effect concerns duration. The notification is valid for an unlimited period, provided that the requirements underpinning the designation continue to be met. There is therefore no longer an expiry date for manufacturers to keep track of, but neither is there an automatic guarantee: if the requirements cease to be met, the designation may be withdrawn.

The third effect is European visibility. The urban planning and construction directorate within the ministry notifies the body to the European Commission by entering it in the NANDO database, together with the identification details, the period of validity, the product families and the intended use, the system of assessment and verification of constancy of performance, the function of the body and the harmonised technical specifications. A manufacturer in another member state can thus check directly in NANDO whether the laboratory is recognised.

The fourth effect is the concrete coverage set out in the annex. The fields of competence cover vapour barrier membranes and roof waterproofing membranes, thermal insulation products either factory-made or formed in situ, doors, windows, shutters, blinds and gates with the related building hardware, as well as space heating appliances without an internal energy source. The applicable assessment system is, for all of these, system 3.

The fifth effect concerns the type of tests. For each essential characteristic, the annex lists the applicable standards: reaction to fire tests, from non-combustibility through to classification under SR EN 13501-1:2019, resistance to fire tests for walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, doors, shutters and windows, as well as tests to determine sound absorption, under SR EN ISO 354:2004 and SR EN ISO 11654:2002.

What has changed compared with the previous situation

The formal change is the replacement of the designating act. Order no. 2,719/2024, published in Official Gazette of Romania no. 727 of 25 July 2024, is repealed on the very date of publication of the new order, so there is no gap during which the laboratory would be left without a designation.

The second change, more important in the long run, is the European legal basis. The new order rests not only on Regulation (EU) no. 305/2011 on construction products, but also on Article 51 and Article 95(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/3,110, the act which lays down the new harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products and which repeals Regulation no. 305/2011. The designation is therefore prepared for the transition to the new European framework.

The third change is procedural. The decision rests on Minutes no. 1 of 16.07.2026 of the Committee for the assessment of bodies for the assessment and verification of constancy of performance and of European technical assessment bodies for construction products. The assessment was therefore carried out through a formal procedure, not through a simple administrative renewal.

The fourth clarification concerns what has not changed. The institute remains the same, the registered office remains the same, the function remains the same, testing laboratory. Manufacturers already working with URBAN-INCERC need do nothing.

Advantages and disadvantages

What it improves

  • Manufacturers and importers have, in a published act, confirmation that the laboratory is recognised and for exactly which product families.
  • Notification for an unlimited period removes the administrative interruptions that arose at each renewal of the designation.
  • Entry in the NANDO database makes the recognition visible throughout the European Union, not only in Romania.
  • The annex lists explicitly the harmonised standards covered, so a manufacturer can check in advance whether the product falls within the competence of the laboratory.

What remains a problem

  • The unlimited period is conditional on the requirements continuing to be met, but the order does not say who carries out periodic checks, or at what intervals.
  • The list of standards in the annex ages quickly, and updating it calls for a new order, with all the administrative process that entails.
  • The order was signed on 6 August and published on 18 August, and between those two dates the old designation was still the only one in force.
  • The coexistence of Regulation (EU) no. 305/2011 with Regulation (EU) 2024/3,110 leaves manufacturers to navigate between two frameworks, with no explanation in the text of the order.

Practical advice

  1. If you manufacture or import construction products, check the annex to the order to see whether your product family appears there. A notified laboratory does not automatically cover every type of product.
  2. Check identification number NB 1841 in the NANDO database of the European Commission as well. That is where you will find the up-to-date form of the notification, including any subsequent amendments.
  3. Bear in mind that the assessment system applicable to every entry in the annex is system 3. It involves determination of the product type on the basis of tests carried out by a notified laboratory, the remaining obligations resting with the manufacturer.
  4. If your product is subject to the rules on reaction to fire, check whether the harmonised standard you use appears in the list. That is where the difference between versions counts.
  5. Do not confuse RENAR accreditation with ministerial designation. The first attests to technical competence, the second confers the right to perform the function within the regulated framework, and for the CE marking you need the second.
  6. If you are working with documents issued before 18 August 2026, check whether they refer to Order no. 2,719/2024. That order has been repealed, and the correct reference is now Order no. 914/2026.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly does this order do?
It designates INCD „URBAN-INCERC”, through ON Laboratoare „URBAN-INCERC”, as a body for the assessment and verification of constancy of performance of construction products, with a view to notification to the European Commission for the function of testing laboratory.
What is the European identification number?
NB 1841, the number under which the body appears in the NANDO database of the European Commission.
How long is the notification valid?
For an unlimited period, provided that the requirements underpinning the designation continue to be met.
Which products does the designation cover?
Vapour barrier membranes and roof waterproofing membranes, thermal insulation products either factory-made or formed in situ, doors, windows, shutters, blinds and gates with the related building hardware, as well as space heating appliances without an internal energy source.
What does assessment system 3 mean?
It is the system of assessment and verification of constancy of performance indicated in the annex for all entries. Under that system, determination of the product type is carried out on the basis of tests performed by a notified laboratory.
What happens to the previous order?
Order no. 2,719/2024, published in Official Gazette of Romania no. 727 of 25 July 2024, is repealed on the date of publication of the new order, that is, on 18 August 2026.
Against which standard was the competence of the laboratory assessed?
Against SR EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018, the standard which lays down the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Accreditation was granted by RENAR.
How does it relate to the new European regulation?
The order is based, among other things, on Article 51 and Article 95(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/3,110, which lays down new harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products and repeals Regulation (EU) no. 305/2011.

Original text of the legal act

The text below is reproduced in Romanian, the official form of publication.

The full text, as published in the Official Gazette of Romania

Official Gazette of Romania no. 681 of 18 August 2026 16 pages PDF, 111 KB the act starts on page 2

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific situations, consult a licensed attorney or tax advisor.