The CPD (Construction Products Directive) will be replaced by the CPR (Construction Products Regulation) in 2013. This will hasten implementation of the classification system developed over recent years and a major reason for this is that the CPR requires that CE-marking is mandatory, and this will also put pressure on member states not to allow any national marking systems. The classification standard prEN 13501-6 for cables is now being been agreed and the method for dealing with families of cables under EXAP rules (Extended Application) has been accepted by CENELEC for further development to a standard and will be described in this paper. prEN 13501-6 gives seven classes of cables which are called Aca, B1ca, B2ca, C ca, Dca, Eca and Fca. The classification is based on heat release, smoke production, flame spread, burning droplets, and acidity. The classification parameters, except acidity and ignition, are measured in a large calorimeter cable test according to the standard EN 50399. The system is analogue to the European classes for linings. In order to have an efficient framework for CE-marking of cables it is necessary to implement EXAPrules which will reduce the number of test required for a well-defined family of cables from a particular manufacturer to be classified. EXAP-rules were developed in the joint European project CEMAC (CE-Marking of Cables) where cables manufacturers as well as research and test institutes participated. These rules are applicable for the test method presented in EN 50399, and are applicable to power cables with circular cross-section. They are based on a large set of test data obtained in tests carried out to this standard and analysed based on principles of fire dynamics.