News Archive

08-10-2021

ARGE Online Members' Meeting 2021 held with 120 participants

In the afternoon of 30th September and morning of 1st October this year's ARGE Online Members' Meeting was held with a record number of around 120 participants. In addition to speakers from...

17-09-2020

ARGE Members' Meeting 2020 took place as ARGE's first-ever hybrid members' meeting

On 10 th September 2020, in place of a full-flung ARGE Conference, a condensed ARGE Members' Meeting took place with some delegates meeting at the premises of ARGE's German member, FVSB, in...

25-07-2020

Brief update on three specific ARGE tasks and projects

Here is a brief update on three specific tasks and projects which ARGE is currently engaged. Lead (Pb) in ‘ keys and locks, including padlocks ’ Under the EU REACH Regulation, Annex XVII, entry 63 it is permitted to use the heavy metal lead (Pb) in alloys of...

12-09-2019

ARGE's Annual Conference 2019 Bonn, presentations available

On the "Info- downloads" section of this website you can find and download the presentations given on our Annual Conference on Sep 4th and 5th, 2019 in Bonn.

20-05-2019

ARGE Annual Conference in September 2019 in Bonn

The invitation for the ARGE 67th ARGE Conference is now availabe on this webpage. Please use the registration form to make your registration.

29-04-2019

Use of Nickel for keys

Since Q1/2017 ARGE has been lobbying against the proposal of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to restrict the use of nickel in keys. Recently, the European Commission and ECHA decided to discontinue the preparation of a guideline which would have extended the presently existing...

29-04-2019

ARGE supports its members in complying with EU’s REACH regulation

REACH is a regulation of the European Union, adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals. REACH is considered to be one of...

29-04-2019

ARGE’s recommendation concerning lead being on REACH’s SVHC Candidate List

On 27 th June 2018 the heavy metal lead (Pb) was added to REACH’s ‘Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern for authorisation’ (‘Candidate List of...

10-12-2018

Conference Delegates Confirm ARGE 2018 Event as a Success

Here at ARGE we value our members’ opinions and constantly look to improve our communications and the work we do. With this in mind we conducted a post-conference survey, to evaluate our...

28-11-2018

ARGE Conference Survey complete

- ARGE's Annual Conference 2018 in Rotterdam turned out objectively as a success. More than 60% of the Conference participants took part at the "after-conference-survey" which was launched...

16-10-2018

ARGE involved with CEN/TC350

ARGE was appointed as Liaison member of CEN/TC350 and WG3 of TC350. The Technical committe deals with the sustainability of construction works. Among other items, WG3 is the group preparing...

16-10-2018

ARGE Conference Rotterdam, latest pictures available for download

We have now a second set of pictures available for download on the ARGE dropbox. It shows now pictures of most of our representatives and presenters. This includes pictures of the presentation of...

24-09-2018

Conference downloads now available

Following a successful conference, members can now download the presentations and documents discussed at the annual event. All presentations are available from the Members downloads...

17-09-2018

Successful ARGE Conference in Rotterdam

Hans Weissenböck, Chairman of ARGE , welcomed more than 60 delegates from 10 countries to the 66th ARGE Conference in Rotterdam. This year's host was the Algemene branchenvereniging VHS. The...

11-09-2018

New Documents regarding the future of hardware standards

New draft version of ARGE's Mission , Vision and Startegy regarding the harmonization and CE-marking of hardware products covered by mandate M 101. The document will be discussed by the members on the ARGE AGM in Rotterdam. Also you can find the "potential options" for the future of...

10-09-2018

ARGE meets 2 times with DG GROW

Since ARGE has direct access to the work of CEN/TC33/WG4, we managed to meet 2 times with the officials of DG GROW in order to discuss the future revision of mandate M101. Besides 2 other meetings of the TC we could discuss the special requirements of the construction hardware products...

10-09-2018

ARGE as Liaison Member of CEN/TC350 "Sustainability of construction works"

Since August 2018 ARGE was accepted as liaison member of CEN/TC350 "Sustainability of construction works". This is important for the benefit of the hardware industry as the new BRCW N°7 "Sustainable use of natural resources" was introduces to the CPR. Product standards for construction...

06-07-2018

Time is running out to book your place at this year's ARGE conference

We’re in the final stage of preparations for this year’s ARGE conference. Our ambition for standardisation will be the main agenda and your participation in defining this and the...

22-06-2018

ARGE signs up to Digital Construction Manifesto

ARGE is pleased to have pledged its support for The European Construction Industry Manifesto for Digitalisation. You can read the Manifesto in the downloads section of the ARGE...

25-04-2018

Your Official Invite to the ARGE Conference is here

ARGE is pleased to announce the official invite to this year's 66th Annual ARGE conference. Hosted by Dutch Building Hardware Association VHS in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, the...

28-03-2018

Save the date for the 66th Conference

The 66 th Annual ARGE Conference will be held from 13 th to 15 th September, 2018 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Hosted by the Dutch Building Hardware Association VHS, the outline...

03-02-2018

ARGE Makes Positive Progress

ARGE has kicked off 2018 as it means to continue, making progress in key areas of its future agenda. Standardisation Following the announcement last year of Paul Duggan’s...

27-11-2017

The Results Are In!

The results of ARGE’s post conference survey have revealed high levels of satisfaction with the overall conference and its content. 92% of delegates rated this year’s event as good or...

30-10-2017

Improving Standardisation through CEN/TC33/WG4

ARGE's position paper regarding the activities undertaken by WG4 is now available to download from our members' resources area. Available from a new area in the member downloads...

22-09-2017

Success at our 65th ARGE Annual Conference

More than 80 delegates attend the ARGE Conference in Salzburg Hosted by Berufsgruppe Schlösser und Beschlagindustrie (BSB) of the Austrian Association FMTI, the ARGE conference took...

14-08-2017

ARGE Conference Booking Deadline Extended Closes 1st September

It is still possible to book your place at the conference until 1st September Taking place on 14th to 15th September in Salzburg, late entry registration for this year's conference will be open until 1st September. Hosted by Berufsgruppe Schlösser und Beschlagindustrie (BSB) of the...

17-07-2017

Workshop Registration Now Open

You can now register your place at the 2017 conference workshops. Following the success of last year’s workshops, delegates can now register for one of two workshops...

29-06-2017

Conference Booking Reminder

Time is running out to book your place at this year’s ARGE Conference! Taking place on 14 th to 15 th September in Salzburg, registration for this year’s ARGE...

26-05-2017

Official Conference Invite Now Available

Registration is now open for the ARGE Conference, which will take place from 14 th to 15 th September in Salzburg. Hosted by Berufsgruppe Schlösser und Beschlagindustrie (BSB) of the...

28-04-2017

ARGE Response to proposed ECHA Guidelines

The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) has produced draft guidelines on the use of Nickel and Nickel compounds in a range of materials and products. Although voluntary, ARGE believes this is likely...

29-03-2017

Frequently Asked Questions about EPDs now available

ARGE has introduced an FAQ document designed to help members understand its recently launched EPDs. Available from the download section on the ARGE website, the FAQs can help members get...

23-03-2017

ARGE EPDs Available to Download

All 14 of ARGE's EPDs are now available to download from the Members Downloads section. Available in both English and German, the industry representative EPDs, which are valid...

24-01-2017

ARGE Workshops Next Steps Revealed

At the 2016 ARGE conference we hosted 4 workshops designed to debate and agree the next ARGE agenda. These groups were well attended and featured stimulating discussions, demonstrating a high...

17-12-2016

2016 Review

It’s been a busy year at ARGE… 2016 has certainly been a challenging year, full of unpredictable decisions and the sad end to many an era. But in spite of such a testing...

18-11-2016

ARGE Conference Workshop Round-Up

At this year’s ARGE conference we hosted 4 workshops designed to debate and agree the next ARGE agenda. These groups were well attended and featured stimulating discussions, demonstrating a...

29-09-2016

SUCCESS AS ARGE LOOK TO THE FUTURE AT 2016 CONFERENCE

Held in Le Touquet Paris-Plage, this year’s annual ARGE Conference heralded the success of its EPD programme and looked toward shaping the future ARGE agenda. Hosted by UNIQ, the...

25-08-2016

Make It Count - Choose Your Workshop At This Year's Conference

With the annual ARGE conference just a few weeks away we are inviting all delegates to select a workshop to participate in. This year’s event will feature four workshops: The...

11-07-2016

Making The Most of ARGE's Workshops

The 2016 ARGE Conference looks set to be the best one yet, with an impressive working programme and a range of workshops for you to get involved in. Hosted by UNIQ, the 64 th...

30-06-2016

Important Information - Booking Deadline

Important information for all ARGE members. The reservation period for hotel rooms in the Westminster Hotel at Le Touquet – Paris Plage ends on Friday July 15th, 2016! This is...

14-06-2016

Booking Open For 2016 Conference

ARGE is pleased to release the official invite and registration form for this year’s annual conference. Both forms are available to download from the ARGE website . Hosted by UNIQ,...

04-05-2016

Defining and Deciding ARGE's Future

This year’s conference will help define the ARGE agenda and identify future opportunities and projects that can bring commercial value for ARGE members. As an association our real value...

21-04-2016

Help Shape ARGE's Future

The Future Of ARGE - In Your Hands This year we’re bringing ARGE delegates together at our annual conference to help shape the future direction of the association. These events...

10-02-2016

ARGE Executive Board Meeting Update

The ARGE Executive Board met at the end of January to set the agenda for 2016. Top of the agenda was the progress made on Environmental Product Declarations (EPD’s) project, which has...

17-12-2015

ARGE Look Towards 2016

After another productive year at ARGE, we’d like to take the opportunity to wish all our members a successful and prosperous 2016. Culminating in a successful and productive annual...

07-12-2015

What's Next For ARGE?

This year’s conference and the delivery of EPDs has demonstrated the importance of an agenda for ARGE and its members, but as our EPD journey completes its current phase the question is,...

25-11-2015

Driving the ARGE Agenda

As an association our real value is in having a relevant agenda that delivers tangible benefits to our members. When we introduced the importance of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) over...

29-09-2015

Incorrect certification according to EN 1627

It came to ARGE's attention that a Czech Testhouse certified hardware products according to EN 1627, burglar resistance. After discussion of the issue in ARGE's WG C it became obvious, that this practice is not according to the CPR and the CEN rules. ARGE steered letters to our Czech member MEZA...

28-09-2015

Conference presentations available

The presentations from this years Annual Conference are now available for download. If you go to "Ressources" you'll find the presentations given on our Conference in Stratford upon Avon. Besides the introduction about the DHF and the report of the board you can find the - EPD Project status...

13-09-2015

Successful ARGE Conference at Stratford u.A.

More than 60 delegates and partners joined the ARGE Annual Conference at Stratford upon Avon. The participants recommended as well the business program as the nice hotel and sourroundings...

30-07-2015

Homepage updated

The webpage has recently been updated. If you are a member of ARGE, please use the "Members Resources" in order to download latest minutes and documentations. Besides the latest minutes of the board you can also find our communication with the Commission Services regarding delays in...

02-07-2015

CEN Launches Online Educational Tool

CEN has launched a new online learning tool designed to help SMEs improve their knowledge on standardisation. The CENELEC interactive online educational tool provides short animations and...

10-06-2015

Conference Registration Now Available

The official invite to this year's ARGE conference, as well as downloadable registration forms are now available on the ARGE website. ARGE members can now register for the 2015...

06-05-2015

Conference Social Programme Announced

This year's annual ARGE conference is held in the picturesque market town of Stratford-upon-Avon and our host - the DHF has announced an exciting social programme. Taking place from...

20-04-2015

Chairman's Interview

After a productive start to 2015, ARGE Chairman Hans Weissenböck, took some time to talk about what he believes the rest of the year has in store for ARGE and its members. ...

09-02-2015

ARGE Targets Set For 2015

ARGE has started 2015 as it means to continue! January saw our first Executive Board meeting of 2015, with members meeting in Düsseldorf to set the foundations for the rest of the year....

04-12-2014

Next Year's Conference Revealed

ARGE is pleased to announce that its 2015 annual conference will be held in the UK, in partnership with The Door and Hardware Federation (DHF). Confirmed at our recent...

21-10-2014

ARGE as Liaison Member of CEN/TC33

Recently we received the signed contract from the CEN Management Board, where ARGE has been agreed as Liaison Member for CEN/TC33. This kind of membership had been introduced by CEN since about a year. It gives Pan-European Associations as ARGE the oportunity to give input and work with...

19-10-2014

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)...

26-09-2014

Conference Downloads Available

All reports and presentations from this year’s conference are now available to download from the Resources section on the ARGE website. Documents, including feedback from the working...

10-09-2014

Successful Conference...more to follow

ARGE would like to thank all delegates who attended this year's conference and made it a resounding success. Held from 4th to 6th September in the Veneto region of Northern Italy,...

22-08-2014

Conference Countdown

With less than two weeks to go to the ARGE Annual Conference, ARGE is looking forward to seeing all members in Veneto on 4th and 5th September. Following the success of last...

01-08-2014

ASSOFERMA Renews Its Membership

After 2 years of absence the Italian Association of locks and hardware, ASSOFERMA decided to renew its ARGE membership Having undergone a structure and membership realignment, the body...

22-07-2014

Ten National Associations Sign Up To ARGE EPDs

Following our announcement to produce generic Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), ten member associations have now signed up to the ARGE scheme – with more to follow. The...

05-06-2014

New Conference Details Unveiled

ARGE is pleased to announced that official registration is now open for its 2014 Conference. This year's annual conference will take place near Venice and the official forms can now be...

11-04-2014

Conference Details Announced

ARGE has annouced further details for this year's Annual Conference and General Meeting . Held from the 4 th to 5 th September in the Venice Region of Italy, the event will be kindly...

28-03-2014

Positive Talks With The European Door & Shutter Federation

ARGE has held positive talks with the European Door and Shutter Federation (EDSF), after presenting its sustainability roadmap and generic EPD proposals. Joachim Kieker, the General...

11-03-2014

ARGE THANKS ALESSANDRO BRUNELLI

After three successful years with ARGE, Technical Consultant Alessandro Brunelli will step down this April. Representing the lock and hardware industry at several CEN Committees,...

18-02-2014

Save The Date

Save the date...this year's annual conference will be held from 4th to 5th September in the Venice region of Northern Italy! Following the success of last year's conference, we're excited to...

05-02-2014

Europe Signs up to ARGE EPD Plans

We're pleased to announce that we will be progressing with our plans for delivering generic Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) by Summer 2015, with 11 member associations from across...

21-01-2014

2013 In Review

2014 is already proving to be a succesful year for ARGE but before we start to look forward, we reflect on some of the successes 2013 brought. Early in 2013 ARGE briefed its membership on...

07-12-2013

EPD Discussions Continue

As ARGE seeks to produce generic EPDs for hardware products, the committee and its Technical Working Group have been evaluating the possible technical solutions, moving one step closer to...

07-11-2013

ARGE RAISES CONCERNS WITH CEN OVER STANDARDISATION DELIVERY

Following a meeting with representatives from CEN and the European Commission, ARGE believe positive steps are now being taken to improve the way product standards are developed and introduced....

25-10-2013

Latest Documents From ARGE Released

ARGE has released its latest documents from the annual conference in Budapest. Now available on the ARGE website are the minutes from the latest General Meeting, and the two further...

01-10-2013

2013 ARGE Conference Documents Available

Following its successful 2013 conference, ARGE has uploaded its latest documents to the website. All documents from the conference in Budapest can be downloaded from the members' resource...

17-09-2013

New Management Elected At Annual Conference

At its General Meeting on September 5 th , ARGE elected a Chairman and two additional members of the Executives Board. The new ARGE Chairman is Hans Weissenboeck. Hans, Austrian from...

09-09-2013

Success At The ARGE Conference

Following a successful conference in Budapest, ARGE is delighted to announce that it will be developing its own entry level EPDs. Members voted in favour of pursuing ARGE’s...

04-09-2013

See You In Budapest!

This is the week of the official ARGE annual conference and we look forward to welcoming you all in Budapest this Thursday and Friday, where the sustainability agenda will take centre stage....

22-08-2013

ARGE Debate Generic EPD Offerings

The ARGE work groups have been developing solutions for the upcoming sustianability requirements that will affect everyone across the industry. In ARGE's special Work Group for...

09-08-2013

ARGE is The European Commissions Services Contact of Choice

ARGE has been announced as the choice point of contact for the European Commission Services. As previously reported, ARGE expressed its concern about the convulted procedures for finalising...

25-07-2013

Standing Committee For Construction

Representatives from ARGE, along with 40 other national delegates and construction experts, joined a hearing of the Standing Committee for Construction in Brussels. Lead by...

03-07-2013

European Wide Sustainability Agenda Available From ARGE

ARGE has made its Guide to the European Wide Sustainability Agenda available as a download on its website. The 10-page guide, which can be dowloaded as a pdf from the Sustainability and...

19-06-2013

Updated Declaration of Performance Examples Available

Updated versions for Declarations of Perfomance examples are now available from the ARGE website. It is the task of ARGE's WG C to check new developments and guidances frequently. Thus the DOP...

31-05-2013

Have Your Say

In the lead up to the conference in Budapest, the ARGE forum will be dedicated to the sustainability agenda. Post your views in our forum or ask ARGE any questions you may have about its...

31-05-2013

Sustainability Page

ARGE has launched a sustainability page. On here you'll find all you need to know about the ARGE sustainability agenda and how we're helping you prepare for the forthcoming changes in the...

31-05-2013

Budapest Itinerary Announced

The agenda and itinerary for the annual ARGE conference in Budapest has been announced. The event held on 5th & 6th Spetember, will include a full social programme as well as a...

07-05-2013

DoP templates as MS word.doc files for download available

Using the Path: Resources - Members Resources - Members Downloads - Important Guidance Documents you find the latest versions of templates for DoPs for those products, that might need DoPs in accordance with their CE-marking.

10-04-2013

New DoP Version for Emergency Exit Device, EN 179

WG C decided to update the template for the DoP "Emergency Exit Device" according to EN 179. Please find the latest version under DoP Example...Rev2 on this download section.

MEP Catherine Stihler and Delegates of the Construction Industy in Europe

28-03-2013

Workshop about "DoPs on Websites" at the European Parliament

On March 27th the MEP Catherine Stihler invited the construction industry to a discussion about the presentation of DoPs on websites. J. Kieker, the General Secretary of ARGE supported the view of...

20-03-2013

Important Guidance!!

WG C has prepared Templates for DoP's for all of the harmonised product types of the locks- and builders hardware branch. In the internal sector of this Wesite you can find those template for download under item "Important Guidance Documents"

20-03-2013

ARGE Conference Budapest 2013

As reported before, the ARGE Annual Conference will be held from September 5th to 7th, 2013 in Budapest. On March 13th a first organisational meeting with the partner company, KABA Elzett Hungary was conducted. The ARGE member of the Executive board, Mr. Hans Weissenböck and the...

23-01-2013

Executives update the Marketing Activities and plan the 2013 conference

The ARGE Executives Board met for the 1st time in the new Assa Abloy EMEA offices in Woking/UK. Among other issues, some important decisions regarding ARGE tasks and events had been made. P....

Jorma Siren, the ARGE Chairman on the ExB Meeting in August 2012

18-01-2013

Executives Board meets in Woking/UK on January 22nd, 2013

Following the kind invitation of Assa Abloy/UK, the ARGE Executives Board will hold its next meeting at their offices in Woking. The meeting will be on January 22nd, 2013 in the afternoon. On the...

18-01-2013

ARGE WG C meets in Paris on December 11, 2012

The WG C met in Paris on December 11th, 2012. It was convened by Pierre Vilain. Major topic was the discussion on how to prepare DoPs for Harware Products in accordance with the CPR, the CEN Consultant and the NAtional Authorities. In between WG C presented templates of DoPs for 3 certain...

18-01-2013

ARGE WG C, Subgroup "Sustainability" meets in Paris

The SG Sustainability met on 10th December 2012 in Paris. The meeting was convened by David Whitworth. David lined out the status of the activities, including the results of a questionnaire between the members. It was decided to go on finding soulutions facing the "Sustainability of buildings"...

25-10-2012

Review of the 60th ARGE General Meeting

ARGE would like to welcome a new executive to the board: Mr Hans Weissenboeck. Hans is from Austria but represents the Swiss Association. He attended his first ARGE Conference in Budapest in 1993...

18-10-2012

Review of the Lectures of the ARGE 60th Conference

The lectures took place this year on a cruise ship sailing from Finland to Sweden. The themes of the lectures were on Sustainability and The Construction Products Regulations. The guest speakers were both from Scandinavia. (Scandinavia itself being the relevant place to hold these...

03-10-2012

ARGE Annual Conference 2012 on Baltic Sea

This week ARGE's 60th Annual Conference takes place. We will be sailing through the Gulf of Finland and across the Baltic Sea, from Helsinki to Stockholm on Thursday 13th September 2012. On Thursday the General Meeting will be held at 16:30 with Elections, Presentations and Reports. Jorma...

17-09-2012

ARGE forges alliance with E.D.S.F.

The European Federation of Associations of Locks and Builders Hardware Manufactures (ARGE) and the European Door and Shutter Federation e.V. (E.D.S.F.) will be working closely together in the...

13-03-2012

New technical list of CEN terms and acronyms

Alessandro Brunelli ARGE’S Technical Consultant has produced a brief but informative list of CEN Terms and Acronyms. This can be found in the Resources section of the ARGE website. To help use decide what would be most useful we request that you e-mail z.quinlan@arge.org if...

12-01-2012

ARGE joins EDSF Symposium on “Fire & Smoke“

EDSF deals with fire resistance requirements for emergency exits and doors on escape routes. It mirrors the work of TC/127/WG3 where EXAPs are produced. These are application documents evaluating the fire resistance of those door- shutter / hardware combinations, which are not covered by the...

07-12-2011

ARGE prioritising sustainability through the development of environment products declarations

The topic of sustainability was addressed at the 2011 Annual Conference in Dusseldorf and members were in full agreement that this matter deserves ARGE’s full attention. Working Group C has...

09-11-2011

Environmental Product Declarations – a key component of sustainable building

Sustainable building is the order of the day, not only because it becomes mandatory when the new Construction Products regulation will be obligatory for each producer in 2013. The quality and...

05-10-2011

Review of the 59th ARGE Conference

ARGE held its 59 th Annual Conference and first Technical Meeting in Düsseldorf, 14-17 September 2011. ARGE is a Trade Association that represents Lock and Hardware Manufacturers within Europe and Scandinavia. Technical Thirty delegates attended the Technical Meeting with reports on...