Frequently asked questions
1. How do I get involved in BSI committee membership?
Visit the BSI website for information on committee participation and how to get involved:
Get Involved with Developing Standards | BSI
2. How can I purchase or access the standards via BSI?
To purchase standards
To find out how to search for and access standards:
3. When should the second‑generation Eurocodes be used in practice in UK?
There is a coexistence period from 2023 to 30 March 2028, during which both the first and second generation Eurocodes are available. This allows organisations to plan their transition.
From 30 March 2028, the first generation Eurocodes and their National Annexes will be withdrawn across Europe. After this date, only the second generation Eurocodes will apply.
In practice, adoption will also depend on how the new Eurocodes are referenced in contracts and in Approved Documents supporting the Building Regulations. Further details are provided in the National Foreword to each standard.
Additional guidance is available via the IStructE blog
4. How will the second‑generation Eurocodes be used in practice?
Each second-generation Eurocode must be used together with its corresponding National Annex. The National Annex provides UK specific parameters required to apply the standard correctly.
5. What are the main changes directly related to the second-generation Eurocodes e.g EC3?
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) Eurocodes website provides comprehensive information on updates, including high-level summaries and detailed changes for individual standards.
Useful resources include:
Eurocodes Homepage | Eurocodes
Second generation of the Eurocodes: what is new? | Eurocodes: Building the future
EUROCODE Conference 2023 at DIBt
6. What changes are coming for temperature, wind and snow loading? Will the current maps be updated?
The second-generation Eurocodes introduce a requirement to take account of climate change in design
This applies to:
- Wind
- Temperature
- Snow
- Atmospheric icing
The climate considerations, including appropriate climate change factors, will be incorporated into the UK National Annexes for the relevant parts of EN 1991, ensuring designers can account for future conditions with confidence.
Current UK projections indicate:
- Temperature are likely to increase
- Wind speed are expected to remain broadly unchanged
- Snow loads may decrease (with some variability)
Updated temperature maps are expected to be included in the UK National Annex. Significant changes to existing wind and snow maps are not currently anticipated.
7. How do the second-generation Eurocodes support climate change mitigation?
The Eurocodes are not specifically intended to address climate change mitigation - their primary purpose is to ensure structures are safe, serviceable, robust, and durable.
However, they include provisions that can help reduce carbon impacts. For example:
- Refinements in design methods to enable more efficient material usage.
- Guidance on material selection, including the use of recycled aggregates is covered in Eurocode 2
- Coverage of assessment and retrofitting to support life-extension of existing assets.
8. Will the new Eurocodes be mandatory in certain countries or sectors, and how might this vary across Europe.
The legal status of the Eurocodes is dependent upon national regulations and these vary between European countries. Importantly, each country is expected to have a National Annex for each Eurocode that includes national choices and complementary information for use in that country.
9.
Discussion within the flat roofing industry have raised concerns about some parameters that were national choices in the first generation Eurocodes not being nationally determined parameters in the second generation. What is happening about this?
The UK national mirror committee for wind actions is currently reviewing the default parameters in the Eurocode and the change those may represent compared with past UK practice. The intention is to address any residual concerns.via the UK National Annex.
10.
What are early amendments?
The Eurocode early amendments are a limited set of updates to the second-generation Eurocodes, mainly to tidy up cross‑references between parts.
The tidying up of cross references was always going to be needed because the second generation Eurocodes were published sequentially, as soon as they became available, and it was not possible to include references to unpublished standards in the Eurocode parts that were published earlier in the evolution programme.
11. When will the early amendments be available?
- The European committee CEN/TC 250 Structural Eurocodes has set out that the amendments should be completed ahead of the common Date of Publication (DoP) on 30 September 2027.
- At national level, any Eurocode early amendments will be incorporated into the BS EN publications as soon as these are made available.
- In case any National Annexes require amendment following their initial publication, these will be issued as soon as practicable after the relevant EN early amendments are released.
12. What are the key milestones for Eurocode implementation and UK National Annex delivery?
The following milestones set out the key dates for the implementation of the second generation Eurocodes in Europe and the UK:
Date of Availability (DAV): The date on which the definitive approved Eurocode text is distributed by the CEN/CENELEC Central Secretariat. All second generation Eurocodes linked to Mandate M/515 Structural Eurocodes now available (milestone achieved 18 March 2026).
Date of Publication (DoP): The latest date by which each Eurocode must be implemented nationally, either through publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement. The DoP is 30 September 2027.
Date of Withdrawal (DoW): The latest date by which conflicting national standards must be withdrawn. The DoW is 30 March 2028.
Completion of second-generation early amendments: Any amendments to the Eurocode standards are expected to be completed by 30 September 2027.
UK Adoption as BS ENs: In line with BSI policy and CEN obligations, European Standards are adopted nationally as British Standards. BSI aims to publish the corresponding BS EN Eurocodes as soon as the EN texts become available
Publication of UK National Annexes: BSI's target is to have all UK National Annexes available by 30 September 2027, aligning with the DoP
Disclaimer
Please note that BSI does not provide formal interpretations of standards in response to individual queries. The content and intent of a British Standard are established through a transparent, consensus-based committee process and are contained solely within the published document. Any feedback or comments offered are provided on an informal basis only, as unofficial guidance intended to assist users where possible. Responsibility for interpreting a standard rests with the user, informed where necessary by appropriate expert advice. Formal clarification or change to a standard can only be made through the appropriate standards development processes.
These FAQs have been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of the FAQs. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law. These FAQs are provided as is, and are to be used at the user’s own risk.