sec_6_3__para

Accreditation is the standards-based method of assessing and attesting the competence of conformity assessment bodies. Union policy has made use of accreditation as an instrument that is designed to create the conditions for mutual confidence because of its reliance on consensus standards. Mutual confidence can only be achieved through reliance on criteria that can be objectively verified, thus allowing transparency and comparability of conformity assessment. The relevant standards for conformity assessment bodies were produced with the intention of supporting the introduction of the conformity assessment procedures set out in Union harmonisation legislation (267). These standards are conceived to cover the general competence requirements for bodies performing conformity assessment to specified requirements, irrespective of whether these are contained in regulations, standards or other technical specifications or whether such specifications are performance-based or product-specific. This concept supports the role of accreditation as a tool to facilitate the free movement of products within the internal market and has been taken over by the ISO/IEC 17000 standards at international level.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-25 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.