M/615 - Cement
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 28.7.2025 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation as regards cement, lime and other hydraulic binders in support of Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 of the European Parliament and of the Council
Mandate M/615 directs the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) to develop standards for cement, lime, and other hydraulic binders. This standardisation request supports the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 of the European Parliament and Council. The objective is to ensure harmonised technical standards that align with regulatory requirements, facilitating compliance, safety, and market uniformity within the EU construction and materials sectors. The mandate aims to enhance product quality and environmental performance in line with EU policy goals.
Purpose
The mandate M/615, titled "Cement," stems from the Commission Implementing Decision dated 28 July 2025. It involves a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) concerning cement, lime, and other hydraulic binders. This mandate supports the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Standardisation request
The European Commission requests CEN to develop and update harmonised standards related to cement, lime, and other hydraulic binders. These standards should align with and facilitate compliance with Regulation (EU) 2024/3110. The focus is likely on ensuring product quality, safety, environmental performance, and interoperability within the internal market.
Expected deliverables
While specific deliverables are not detailed here, expected outputs generally include:
- Harmonised European standards for cement, lime, and other hydraulic binders.
- Technical specifications and test methods reflecting the regulatory requirements.
- Guidelines aiding manufacturers, testing bodies, and regulators in conformity assessment and market surveillance.
These deliverables will support the regulation's goals, such as sustainability, quality assurance, and market harmonisation.
Context
This mandate forms part of the EU's broader regulatory and standardisation framework designed to enhance product quality and environmental sustainability in the construction and building materials sector. By standardising cement and related products, the EU aims to ensure safer, more sustainable construction materials and promote a harmonised internal market. The alignment with Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 underscores the legislative intent to modernise rules governing hydraulic binders and related products across Member States.
This mandate covers the standardisation of cement, lime, and other hydraulic binders. The work supports Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 and aims to establish common standards for these materials within the European Union. The focus is on ensuring product quality, safety, and compliance in the construction and building materials sector.
General Information
This document covers calcium silicate cement (common cement) intended to be used:
- for the preparation of concrete, mortar, grout, and other mixes for construction and for the manufacture of construction products including structural and non-structural products, including white cement;
- for the preparation of mortar for bricklaying, blocklaying, rendering and plastering, including white cement;
- for the preparation of adhesives for other construction products;
- for soil stabilization or improvement, road bases and sub-bases, and capping layers.
Calcium aluminate cement, supersulfated cement, very low heat cement and alkali activated binder as well as masonry cement exclusively manufactured for the preparation of mortar for bricklaying, rendering and plastering are excluded from this product definition.
NOTE 1 Calcium silicate cements with an intended use as defined in this document belong to the product category "common cement".
The product definition of common cement covers the following combination of constituents expressed in percentage as mass, any other combination is outside the product definition:
a) primary cement (minimum of 95 % clinker);
NOTE 2 This refers to the designation code CEM I.
b) binary cements with clinker and a maximum of 95 % of blast furnace slag;
NOTE 3 This refers to the designation codes CEM II/A-S, CEM II/B-S, CEM III/A, CEM III/B, CEM III/C.
c) binary cements with clinker and a maximum of 10 % of silica fume;
NOTE 4 This refers to the designation code CEM II/A-D.
d) binary cements with clinker and a maximum of 35 % of one of the following constituents: natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, fly ash, coal bottom ash, burnt shale, limestone or recycled concrete fines;
NOTE 5 This refers to the designation codes CEM II/A-P, CEM II/B-P, CEM II/A-Q, CEM II/B-Q, CEM II/A-V, CEM II/B-V, CEM II/A-W, CEM II/B-W, CEM II/A-Z, CEM II/B-Z, CEM II/A-T, CEM II/B-T, CEM II/A-F, CEM II/B-F, CEM II/A-L, CEM II/B-L, CEM II/A-LL, CEM II/B-LL.
e) pozzolanic cements with clinker and a maximum of 55 % of a combination of silica fume, natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, fly ash and coal bottom ash with a maximum of 10 % silica fume;
NOTE 6 This refers to the designation codes CEM IV/A, CEM IV/B.
f) composite cement with a minimum of 50 % of clinker, a maximum of 29 % of recycled concrete fines and a maximum of 44 % of any combination of blast furnace slag, silica fume, natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, fly ash, coal bottom ash, burn shale and limestone with a maximum of 10 % silica fume and a maximum of 35 % of the aggregation of limestone and recycled concrete fines;
NOTE 7 This refers to the designation codes CEM II/A-M, CEM II/B-M, CEM II/C-M (containing recycled concrete fines and other allowed constituents).
g) composite cement with a minimum of 50% of clinker and a maximum of 50% of any combination of blast furnace slag, silica fume, natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, fly ash, coal bottom ash, burnt shale, limestone and recycled concrete fines with a maximum of 10% of silica fume, a maximum of 20% of recycled concrete fines, and a maximum of 35% of any combination of limestone and recycled concrete fines;
NOTE 8 This refers to the designation codes CEM II/A-M, CEM II/B-M, CEM II/C-M (containing allowed constituents).
h) composite cements with a minimum of 20 % of clinker, a maximum of 49 % of blast furnace slag and a maximum of 49 % of a combination of natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, siliceous fly ash and coal bottom ash;
NOTE 9 This refers to the designation codes CEM V/A, CEM V/B.
i) composite cements with a minimum of 35 % clinker, a maximum of 59% of blast furnace slag and a maximum of 20 % of natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, siliceous fly ash, coal bottom ash, limestone or recycled concrete fines;
...
- Draft93 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
The general scope of the core product category rules (PCR) is given in EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, Clause 1.
This PCR is primarily intended for the creation of cradle-to-gate EPDs or the declaration of performance in relation to the environmental sustainability of cement, building lime and other hydraulic binders.
In particular,
“cement” refers to
— common cements according to EN 197 1 [1],
— very low heat special cements according to EN 14216 [6],
— calcium aluminate cement according to EN 14647 [7],
— supersulfated cement according to EN 15743 [9];
“building lime” refers to
— building lime according to EN 459 1 [3];
“other hydraulic binders” refers to
— masonry cement according to EN 413 1 [2],
— hydraulic road binders according to EN 13282 [5],
— hydraulic binder for non-structural applications according to EN 15368 [8].
In other respects, the scope is as in EN 15804:2012+A2:2019.
- Draft40 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
The general scope of the core product category rules (PCR) is given in EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, Clause 1.
This PCR is primarily intended for the creation of cradle-to-gate EPDs or the declaration of performance in relation to the environmental sustainability of cement, building lime and other hydraulic binders.
In particular,
“cement” refers to
— common cements according to EN 197 1 [1],
— very low heat special cements according to EN 14216 [6],
— calcium aluminate cement according to EN 14647 [7],
— supersulfated cement according to EN 15743 [9];
“building lime” refers to
— building lime according to EN 459 1 [3];
“other hydraulic binders” refers to
— masonry cement according to EN 413 1 [2],
— hydraulic road binders according to EN 13282 [5],
— hydraulic binder for non-structural applications according to EN 15368 [8].
In other respects, the scope is as in EN 15804:2012+A2:2019.
- Draft40 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
This document covers calcium silicate cement (common cement) intended to be used:
- for the preparation of concrete, mortar, grout, and other mixes for construction and for the manufacture of construction products including structural and non-structural products, including white cement;
- for the preparation of mortar for bricklaying, blocklaying, rendering and plastering, including white cement;
- for the preparation of adhesives for other construction products;
- for soil stabilization or improvement, road bases and sub-bases, and capping layers.
Calcium aluminate cement, supersulfated cement, very low heat cement and alkali activated binder as well as masonry cement exclusively manufactured for the preparation of mortar for bricklaying, rendering and plastering are excluded from this product definition.
NOTE 1 Calcium silicate cements with an intended use as defined in this document belong to the product category "common cement".
The product definition of common cement covers the following combination of constituents expressed in percentage as mass, any other combination is outside the product definition:
a) primary cement (minimum of 95 % clinker);
NOTE 2 This refers to the designation code CEM I.
b) binary cements with clinker and a maximum of 95 % of blast furnace slag;
NOTE 3 This refers to the designation codes CEM II/A-S, CEM II/B-S, CEM III/A, CEM III/B, CEM III/C.
c) binary cements with clinker and a maximum of 10 % of silica fume;
NOTE 4 This refers to the designation code CEM II/A-D.
d) binary cements with clinker and a maximum of 35 % of one of the following constituents: natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, fly ash, coal bottom ash, burnt shale, limestone or recycled concrete fines;
NOTE 5 This refers to the designation codes CEM II/A-P, CEM II/B-P, CEM II/A-Q, CEM II/B-Q, CEM II/A-V, CEM II/B-V, CEM II/A-W, CEM II/B-W, CEM II/A-Z, CEM II/B-Z, CEM II/A-T, CEM II/B-T, CEM II/A-F, CEM II/B-F, CEM II/A-L, CEM II/B-L, CEM II/A-LL, CEM II/B-LL.
e) pozzolanic cements with clinker and a maximum of 55 % of a combination of silica fume, natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, fly ash and coal bottom ash with a maximum of 10 % silica fume;
NOTE 6 This refers to the designation codes CEM IV/A, CEM IV/B.
f) composite cement with a minimum of 50 % of clinker, a maximum of 29 % of recycled concrete fines and a maximum of 44 % of any combination of blast furnace slag, silica fume, natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, fly ash, coal bottom ash, burn shale and limestone with a maximum of 10 % silica fume and a maximum of 35 % of the aggregation of limestone and recycled concrete fines;
NOTE 7 This refers to the designation codes CEM II/A-M, CEM II/B-M, CEM II/C-M (containing recycled concrete fines and other allowed constituents).
g) composite cement with a minimum of 50% of clinker and a maximum of 50% of any combination of blast furnace slag, silica fume, natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, fly ash, coal bottom ash, burnt shale, limestone and recycled concrete fines with a maximum of 10% of silica fume, a maximum of 20% of recycled concrete fines, and a maximum of 35% of any combination of limestone and recycled concrete fines;
NOTE 8 This refers to the designation codes CEM II/A-M, CEM II/B-M, CEM II/C-M (containing allowed constituents).
h) composite cements with a minimum of 20 % of clinker, a maximum of 49 % of blast furnace slag and a maximum of 49 % of a combination of natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, siliceous fly ash and coal bottom ash;
NOTE 9 This refers to the designation codes CEM V/A, CEM V/B.
i) composite cements with a minimum of 35 % clinker, a maximum of 59% of blast furnace slag and a maximum of 20 % of natural pozzolana, natural activated pozzolana, siliceous fly ash, coal bottom ash, limestone or recycled concrete fines;
...
- Draft93 pagesEnglish languagee-Library read for1 day
Frequently Asked Questions
A European Standardization Mandate is a formal request from the European Commission to the European Standardization Organizations (CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI) to develop European standards (ENs) in support of EU legislation and policies. Mandates are issued under Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 and help ensure that products and services meet the essential requirements set out in EU directives and regulations.
M/615 is a European Standardization Mandate titled "COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 28.7.2025 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation as regards cement, lime and other hydraulic binders in support of Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 of the European Parliament and of the Council". COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 28.7.2025 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation as regards cement, lime and other hydraulic binders in support of Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 of the European Parliament and of the Council There are 4 standards developed under this mandate.
Standards developed in response to a mandate and cited in the Official Journal of the European Union become "harmonized standards". Products manufactured in compliance with harmonized standards benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation, facilitating CE marking and market access across the European Economic Area.