Since February 2, 2026, all public procurement in Italy requires compliance with updated Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) for construction. CAM are not guidelines. They are mandatory requirements embedded in every public tender document. A construction product that fails to meet them is excluded from the competition, regardless of price or technical performance.
The latest update (Ministerial Decree, November 24, 2025) expands product categories covered, introduces ESG criteria, and extends obligations to private developers executing public infrastructure works.
Key implications for companies
Market access is tied to environmental documentation. CAM operate on two levels. First, mandatory recycled content thresholds (ranging from 5% to 75% depending on the material) that act as a pass/fail gate. Second, award criteria points for verified environmental certifications such as EPDs. In competitive tenders where margins between bidders are thin, these points determine who wins.
EPDs are the most effective compliance tool. The regulation recognizes seven types of environmental certification, but the EPD (Environmental Product Declaration, compliant with EN 15804 and ISO 14025) is the only one that covers the full product life cycle, qualifies for both mandatory thresholds and award criteria, and is recognized internationally for private tenders, European export markets, and sustainability protocols like LEED, BREEAM, and ITACA.
Preparation timelines are a real risk. The traditional path to an EPD through external consultants takes up to 12 months. Companies that have not started preparing their environmental documentation risk being shut out of ongoing PNRR-funded tenders and public contracts.
The scope is expanding. The updated CAM now cover product categories previously excluded (plumbing fixtures, sanitary ware, building services systems, insulating glass, ceramic stoneware pipes) and introduce ESG requirements for participating companies.
What companies should do
Audit your current environmental documentation. If your product lacks an EPD or one of the seven CAM-recognized certifications, you cannot demonstrate compliance and you miss out on award criteria points.
Evaluate your EPD generation method. For large catalogs or recurring declarations, a pre-verified LCA software platform like Emidat reduces timelines from months to weeks and lowers the cost of each additional declaration.
Start before the next tender. Companies that treat certification as a proactive investment rather than a reactive obligation are the ones that arrive ready when the tender is published. Preparing documentation under deadline pressure means higher costs, higher error risk, and missed opportunities.
Track the regulatory trajectory. CAM are updated periodically. At the European level, the ongoing revision of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is moving toward making environmental declarations a mandatory part of product documentation. What is a competitive advantage today may become a baseline requirement tomorrow.
Conclusion
Italy's CAM regulations are not a bureaucratic formality. They are the competitive framework for public procurement in one of Europe's largest construction markets. Companies with verified environmental data compete. Those without it are excluded.
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