EPD in Italy, explained for manufacturers
Italy is one of Europe’s most active markets for product‑specific Environmental Product Declarations. If you sell construction materials into Italy, understanding EPDItaly, CAM edilizia, and EN 15804 will help you win public tenders and keep specs sticky. Here is the practical playbook we wish every product team had before typing “epd italy” into a browser.
What an EPD means in Italy
An Environmental Product Declaration is a third‑party verified label built on a life cycle assessment that follows EN 15804. In Italy, EPDs show up in day‑to‑day procurement through CAM edilizia, the Green Public Procurement criteria for public works. The current decree entered into force on December 4, 2022 and replaced the 2017 text, so specs reference the updated rules and wording, including EPDItaly or equivalent pathways (Gazzetta Ufficiale, 2022) (Gazzetta Ufficiale, 2022).
Who operates EPDs here
Several European program operators are recognized in Italy. The home‑market choice is EPDItaly, managed by ICMQ and accredited by Accredia. Many manufacturers also publish with IBU in Germany or EPD International in Sweden, then rely on ECO Platform alignment and mutual recognition for use in Italy. Think of program operators as airports. Pick the best hub for your route, just make sure your ticket is valid at the destination.
The growth curve you can benchmark against
EPDItaly reported surpassing 1,000 published declarations in November 2025, more than doubling over the previous five years, a clear signal that buyers now expect verified product data in bids (EPDItaly, 2025). Earlier updates also noted 39 active PCRs by June 1, 2024, with declarations coming from about 20 countries, so the registry is broad, not only domestic (EPDItaly, 2024).
CAM edilizia and where EPDs help
Public contracting authorities must apply CAM criteria in tender documents, which nudges teams toward products with verified attributes. EPDs are one of the accepted ways to demonstrate recycled content and other environmental requirements within CAM. That turns an EPD from a static PDF into a passkey for eligibility and scoring. If a competitor shows an EPD and you do not, you are asking the buyer to take a risk they do not need to take.
EN 15804 today, practical implications
EN 15804+A2 expanded indicators and made end‑of‑life and Module D reporting standard for construction products. In practice, this means more primary data and tighter coordination across plants and suppliers. Plan for at least one full reference year of utilities, materials, transport, waste and packaging, plus clear modeling of end‑of‑life routes. Prospective EPDs can work for new lines with limited months of data, but they still need rework once a full year is available.
Data hubs you will hear about
ECO Platform is the umbrella for European program operators and its ECO Portal feeds many building LCA tools. In Italy, the EPDItaly registry is the first stop for locally published declarations. Specifiers also consult other national portals when a product is imported, so publish where your customers actually search.
How program‑operator choice affects speed and reach
For Italy‑focused sales, EPDItaly offers language, familiarity in CAM references, and Accredia‑anchored processes. For pan‑EU portfolios, IBU or EPD International can be efficient if you want one template across many countries and then use mutual recognition in Italy. Verify three things before you commit. 1) Acceptance in target tenders and rating systems. 2) Lead times for verification and publication. 3) Whether your PCR and background datasets match your product’s technology and geography. Getting this wrong costs rework later, it’s definetely not fun.
A word on CSRD and why product data matters
Corporate reporting rules push upstream data quality. The EU initially estimated that nearly 50,000 companies would fall under CSRD, expanding far beyond the prior regime (European Parliament, 2022). In 2025, lawmakers proposed and debated cuts that would narrow the scope drastically, which would still leave large manufacturers and EU‑active groups disclosing more granular information than before (Reuters, 2025). Fewer companies or not, buyers are moving toward comparable, verifiable numbers. EPDs meet that bar product by product.
Sales impact you can plan for
On public works, an EPD aligned to EN 15804 and the right PCR lets you bid without triggering conservative default factors. On private projects, LEED v5 keeps product‑specific EPDs in the conversation for material credits, so they can shorten decision cycles. Teams that already have the data collection muscle publish faster across multiple SKUs, then refresh on schedule rather than scrambling near expiry.
Your first 60 days, simplified
Start by mapping where you sell in Italy and which tenders or clients cite CAM edilizia or ECOPLATFORM references. Confirm the dominant PCR used by competitors. Lock a reference year and assemble primary data from each plant into one structure that your LCA partner can validate quickly. Decide the publication route, EPDItaly or another operator with mutual recognition, based on how and where your customers search. The simpler you make internal data pulls, the quicker you see your declaration live.
Bringing it together
Italy rewards manufacturers that translate engineering into verified numbers. Get the rulebook right, choose the operator that fits your route, and build repeatable data collection so renewals are routine, not fire drills. The result is fewer hurdles in CAM‑driven tenders and more specs that stick.
EPDItaly, 2025
EPDItaly, 2024
European Parliament, 2022
Reuters, 2025
(Gazzetta Ufficiale, 2022)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to publish with EPDItaly to sell in Italy?
No. EPDs from other reputable European operators are typically accepted if they follow EN 15804+A2 and, when relevant, benefit from ECO Platform mutual recognition. EPDItaly is often convenient because CAM edilizia language references it explicitly as an example.
Does EN 15804+A2 make my older EPD invalid?
Not automatically. It does change indicators and reporting scope, so many buyers and tools prefer A2‑compliant EPDs. Plan to update at renewal to avoid comparability issues.
What if no PCR exists for my product?
Many operators host generic construction PCRs that can fit as a fallback. A good LCA partner will benchmark which PCR competitors use, then recommend the best fit.
How many EPDs are in the EPDItaly registry?
EPDItaly announced crossing 1,000 published declarations in November 2025, after significant growth since 2021 (EPDItaly, 2025).
Is CSRD forcing product EPDs?
CSRD is a corporate reporting rule, not a product label. It drives better data collection, which often makes creating and maintaining product EPDs easier and more worthwhile.
About the Author
John brings a clear, research-driven perspective on the EPD, LCA and HPD space and keeps a close pulse on environmental trends and standards in North America, helping clients understand where the industry is heading and how to get there.
