Author
H B WALTHER
Xella Technologie- und Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Kloster Lehnin, Germany

Abstract
Type III Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are new instruments to supply quantified environmental data for a product using predetermined parameters according to ISO CD 14025.3. These parameters are based on the ISO 14040 series of standards and may be accompanied by other relevant quantitative and qualitative environmental data.
In some countries different institutions develop EPD. These EPD are based on product-specific patterns i.e. Product Category Rules (PCR). Hence, a comparison was carried out about differences between the individual PCR and the corresponding EPD. The study bases on three EPD of an identical AAC product from Xella in the Netherlands, France and Germany developed by MRPI, AFNOR and AUB. Moreover, a cross check was carried out. AUB and MRPI calculated the data of the others according to their own models. The report displays only minor differences between the individual EPD. The paper also shows the reasons for that and illustrates an ongoing process of international harmonisation of PCR.