The Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and the Environment, has decided to promote the use of Azores Cryptomeria wood in the construction sector with the establishment of a Portuguese Standard, which is currently under consultation. After being approved by national and European authorities, Azores Cryptomeria will bear the "CE" marking.

The CE marking indicates that a product complies with European law and with harmonised European standards; it can circulate freely within the European space.

With this marking, industry entrepreneurs can now declare the conformity of their product with all legal requirements necessary to obtain this qualification. This national and international recognition will bring additional benefits to the sector.

The preparation of this new Portuguese Standard, which began in 2013, was developed and submitted to the Portuguese Quality Institute (IPQ) by the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources and Azorina. It is intended for cryptomeria sawn wood of the Autonomous Region of the Azores to be used in construction.

For public consultation, the project for the Portuguese Standard prNP 4544:2015 is available on the IPQ site at http://www1.ipq.pt/PT/Normalizacao/Inquerito_Publico_Projeto_Norma/Pages/Projectos_Norma_em_Inquerito.aspx.

Suggestions or technical inputs indicating the respective Regulatory Document Project can be submitted by November 13 to the email address [email protected] or by filling in the "Registration Form for Comments to the Portuguese Regulatory Documents," accessible on the IPQ website.

For further information, those who are interested may access the reports drafted by the National Civil Engineering Laboratory at the address http://drrf-srrn.azores.gov.pt/areas/cert/Paginas/Marcacao_CE.aspx.