The Health Ministry is reminding stakeholders of the new European requirements that will apply to materials and products that come into contact with water intended for human consumption and are placed on the market. The information is contained in a circular published on Diavgeia, which has also been forwarded to the Ministry of Development with a request that it inform the relevant bodies.

The circular concerns the new harmonized European framework for assessing the compliance of finished materials, products, components and assembled products intended for use in facilities for the extraction, treatment, storage or distribution of water for human consumption. It also sets out the minimum hygiene requirements that these products must meet in order to be placed on the market.

From December 31, 2026, all products falling within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2024/370 and placed on the European Union market will be required to have a European conformity assessment certificate. The certificate will be issued by a notified conformity assessment body, will be valid for five years and will certify that the product meets the minimum hygiene requirements. Certified products will also have to carry the prescribed European marking.

For the manufacture of these products, only the substances, formulations and components included in the European positive lists may be used for the purposes of the European assessment. Manufacturers interested in having substances added to these lists may submit applications directly to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), following the prescribed procedure.

A transitional period until December 31, 2032 is provided for products that have been assessed under national hygiene requirements and hold a valid national certificate of conformity as of December 31, 2026. During the transitional period, subject to the applicable conditions, products may carry either a national or a European certificate of conformity. After December 31, 2032, only the harmonized European conformity assessment system will apply.

The Health Ministry is urging economic operators to plan ahead and take the necessary steps to have their products assessed for conformity, ensuring that they can continue to be placed on the market without disruption. The circular has been forwarded to the Ministry of Development, which has been asked to inform the relevant stakeholders within its remit.