This report concerns corrosion protective properties of coatings for fastening elements, primarily for the building industry. Background for this work is the increasing practice to compare coatings based on accelerated tests, tests in many cases not providing results relevant to conditions during use, thus resulting in erroneous conclusions when comparing materials and coatings. An overview over regulations and of coatings used is given and a principal strategy for selecting coatings for fastening elements proposed; a strategy primarily covering corrosion properties