Uncategorised 19 October 2014

Conference Review 2014

conference-review-2014

Held in Veneto, we are delighted to report yet another successful annual ARGE Conference, with some overwhelmingly positive outcomes.

 

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

The conference marked yet another milestone in our sustainability roadmap and drive to deliver generic EPDs for locks and hardware, which are valid across Europe. Both Sven-Olof Ryding, an expert in EPD programme holders and managers at a European level, and Lionel Meleton, who specialises in the writing and delivery of EPDs, commended ARGE’s planned programme. Mr Meleton, who will be acting as Project Manager for ARGE’s EPD programme, confirmed that the project was on course, whilst Mr Ryding lent his support describing it as ‘well thought-out and very deliverable.’

 

At present we are on course to meet our target for the development of the individual EPDs in summer 2015. Further news on EPDs and developments at the conference will be available in our next email newsletter.

 

Membership Update

As many of you know we were delighted this year to welcome back ASSOFERMA, who re-joined ARGE after a two-year absence and has now confirmed its commitment to the EPD project. In addition, MEZA, the Czech Association will also be joining the project and Dr. Sharam Heidari from EDSF has expressed an interest in following the ARGE roadmap to EPDs.

 

In other membership news Bruno Rosevich, has been voted to the Executive Board and both Paul Browne and Denis Schnoebelen have been reselected as Executives.

 

CEN Relationship

 

We held exclusive talks with CEN managers about the delays in publication of certain key product standards, and as a result, have agreed with them an escalation process to address unnecessary potential delays in the future.

 

ARGE has become a “liaison member” of CEN/TC33, which is responsible for lock and hardware performance standards. This will enable ARGE to represent member interests more effectively.

 

In addition, ARGE has applied to become a “liaison organisation” within CEN/TC350 – the technical committee focused on construction product sustainability – enabling ARGE to influence how Product Category Rules (PCR’s) are written. This, in turn, will form the basis of EPDs, helping to ensure that the initial “wave” of ARGE EPDs will be adopted across Europe.

 

We would like to extend our thanks to this year’s conference hosts, Silca S.p.A, with many delegates enjoying the tour around Vittorio Veneto, which afforded members the opportunity to see first hand the capacity and the technical variability of one of the most advanced production sites for keys, access systems and key milling machines in Europe.

 

Next year’s conference will be confirmed shortly, with both the DHF in the UK and UNIQ in France offering to host the annual event.

 

We would like to thank all delegates who attended this year’s conference and contributed to its success.