Information regarding unofficial notice related to changes of KTW-BWGL regulations
Based on the statement below, DONIT contacted relevant bodies to get confirmation about the given information.
The current status is the following:
Due to problems of pipe and hose producers to fulfill the requirements of KTW-BWGL D/E (they haven´t been able yet to find an adequate solution for the required primer-systems), UBA decided to postpone the final implementation of the KTW-BWGL from 01.03.2025 at least for 12 months, but considering also to postpone until 01/2027, i.e. 22 months.
One expected logical next step would be that existing certificates for ELL will remain valid until the new expiry date, as far as the certificates are not older than 10 years. This will be true for DONIT products like TESNIT® BA-U, BA-50, BA-Soft, BA-GL.
After the new expiry date, these approvals will expire. Without approval the products cannot be used in the drinking water application.
Another possible next step would be that existing certificates for ELL will not be prolongued because all of these products contain substances from the ELL positive list 2. (typical for the branch, not only for TESNIT®)
In this case nothing would change compared to the original plan of KTW-BWGL implementation. The ELL products would expire end of February 2025 and only the KTW-BWGL conforming product would be allowed from 03/2025 onwards.
Official statements of UBA are not yet available but are expected in the next weeks. Then we can take final conclusion and know exactly how to proceed.
What does it mean for TESNIT® BA-KTW-G?
TESNIT® BA-KTW-G is fully certified already today and will keep its validity for sure until 2032.
Additionally, we expect that BA-KTW-G will also be able to pass the DWD 2020/2184 (European drinking water directive). Thus, acc. to our evaluation of the current status of our knowledge, further homologation with TESNIT® BA-KTW-G and continuation of started activities with BA-KTW-G seems to be the safe way and the lowest risk for the future setup.
Additionally, acc. to EU Directive 2022/2464/EU, European Green Deal, and the connected CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), companies with more than 250 employees and 40 Mio € turnover, listed on the European market, are obliged to follow the CSRD and the ESG reporting. Most of the big buyers of Donit gasket sheets or/and end-users of our gaskets made from Donit gasket sheets might be faced with these reporting demands.
i.e. these companies have to be eligible with current legislation (e.g. ELL) but also products they use or produce have to be aligned with objectives of the European Green Deal
- Key Focus Areas for Alignment:
- Product Design: Use sustainable materials, minimize environmental impact, and align with circular economy principles.
- Supply Chain Practices: Ensure suppliers adhere to ESG criteria.
- Corporate Goals: Align business objectives with sustainability targets (e.g., reducing carbon footprint or achieving net-zero emissions).
- Stakeholder Engagement: Align with stakeholder expectations, including customers, investors, banks-financing and regulators.
- Examples in Practice:
- A company claiming to be carbon-neutral must ensure its product lifecycle reflects that claim, from sourcing to disposal.
- Aligning with the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities to demonstrate how products/services contribute to sustainability goals.
Strategic Benefits for buyers of TESNIT® BA-KTW-G:
- A company that is both eligible and well-aligned is better positioned to leverage sustainability as a competitive advantage, access funding, and strengthen trust with stakeholders.
- Proper alignment supports accurate and credible reporting, which is critical for meeting CSRD requirements.
German version of document: link
