There is increasing need for consideration of performance classification for wood products in construction, as evidenced by the CPR, warranty providers and end user demands for information. This means we need to radically consider how the tests we conduct on wood for durability (especially biological durability) can inform on service life and how they might if possible be translated into a performance classification system. This paper considers the background and situation in Europe concerning this issue, including the drivers of better information for environmental product declarations (EPDs). It describes the changes that have occurred in the past 5-10 years and how the trajectory of standards development is now on a different pathway. The collaborative European project PerformWOOD is described. It is one of the main responses to the classification and service life demands and is considering key issues such as material resistance, moisture risk and adaptation of existing standards.

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