The rule, and the exception that catches everyone
A declaration of performance is drawn up when a product is covered by a designated standard, and unlike most UK product regimes, using the designated standard is mandatory where one covers the product. For fire-resisting doorsets the relevant product standard is EN 16034:2014 — but it is a companion standard and cannot be used on its own.
The consolidated list of designated standards records that EN 16034:2014 "shall only be applied together with either EN 13241:2003+A2:2016 or EN 14351-1:2006+A2:2016". EN 14351-1 covers windows and external pedestrian doorsets; EN 13241 covers industrial, commercial and garage doors. EN 14351-2, which covers internal pedestrian doorsets, does not appear on the designated standards list.
What that means in practice
Most internal timber fire doorsets sold in Great Britain are not covered by a designated standard. There is therefore no declaration of performance to draw up for them under the Construction Products Regulation, and no marking route under it either. This surprises people, and it is regularly misdescribed in tender documents that ask for a declaration of performance for an internal fire door.
External fire doorsets are a different matter: where EN 16034 is applied with EN 14351-1, the designated-standard route applies and a declaration of performance is drawn up in the normal way. CE marking also continues to be recognised for products placed on the GB market, with no end date, following the announcement of 2 September 2024; UKCA marking using UK approved bodies remains available as the alternative.
What stands in its place
For products outside the designated-standard route the evidence carries the weight: fire test reports, classification reports, extended application assessments, and in most of the UK market third-party certification under a scheme operated by a certification body. Many manufacturers also issue their own declaration or statement of performance. That is a voluntary document; it is not a declaration of performance under the regulation, and it should not be labelled as though it were.
The general safety requirement consultation published on 25 February 2026 proposes bringing products with no designated standard or technical assessment into scope, with a manufacturer risk assessment and duties about the product information supplied. Its status is CONSULTATION and it closes on 20 May 2026.
Getting the content right
Whichever route applies, the substance is the same: a product identification tied to a specific version, a declared intended use, the characteristics and values you declare, the standard or reference each value is expressed against, and the assessment route behind it.
The most common defect we see is a declaration that identifies the product by marketing name only. If the name covers three leaf constructions and two frame types, the declaration does not identify what was declared. Tie it to a version and a configuration.